Life as a Royal
by SERIOSLYNICK
Summary: AU-verse Royal!Merlin. When Merlin first comes to Camelot, he didn't expect to become adopted into the royal family! Might do Arthur/Gwen and Merlin/Morgana. DISCLAIMER: I do not own Merlin. Read and Review.
1. Chapter 1

**SERIOSLYNICK HERE! Here is my first Royal!Merlin fanfic on ! Try to review plz. More reviews, more chapters! Do you guys _like _Royal!Merlin Stories? Try to give me some ideas. **

**Pairings follow main story line, but I might try some Merlin/Morgana**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Merlin.**

Merlin

A boy, approximately 16 years of age, could be seen climbing over a small hill, a look of accomplishment on his face. The reason: he has reached Camelot! The market, bustling with all sorts of people, young and old, small and tall, fat and skinny, whites, blacks, all the sorts. There were strong, tall knights, with their red capes billowing behind them. There were commoners, dressed in cheap cloths, running from place to place. The houses themselves were an accomplishment. Sure, maybe they didn't look all that great, but the sheer amount of them! Each and every one, unique in it's own way. And then the boy's gaze went to the castle. All other thoughts fled from his mind, the castle trumped all those others he had seen. It's white, glistening walls sparkled as the noon sky reflected off it. The tall towers loomed high in the sky. True, the boy had only seen one other castle, Cenred's, but this one trumped that castle, there was no comparison.

He took a deep breath, and he walked toward the walls surrounding Camelot. _This is embarrassing, I can't even find the gate! _He walked a while, finally reaching an arched passage in the wall. It had bars everywhere, except the middle. In the middle was a door with two guards guarding it. I walked toward the door, but the guards barred my way.

"What is you're business here in Camelot?" One said kindly, yet rough.

"I'm looking for a man named Giaus," I declared confidently. "I need to ask him something."

"The physician?" The first knight asked. "You can find him in the castle, ask for Giaus."

"Alright, thank you." I said. I continued walking through the town surrounding the castle. I noticed a crowd gathering by a raised platform. _This is cool, the king puts on plays for the town! _I thought. Then I noticed the man wearing what seemed to be a big black hat with holes for the eyes. And he was carrying an axe.

"You all are gathered here to witness the execution of John Collins. Sentenced to death for the use of enchantments and magic. Let this be a sign to all of you, magic is not to be tolerated!" A voice boomed. I looked and saw a man standing on balcony, his hand raised toward the executioner. He had a face with a few scars, and graying hairs. He had a golden crown upon his head. _The king! _I thought to my self. "Bring him in!" The king said.

At his words, a group of 6 knights marched threw the crowd escorting a man who looked to be no more than 30! He wasn't even struggling! When they walked up to the platform and shoved him down onto a stone slab that was placed there. The executioner walked towards him and raised his axe. _Oh gosh, I can't watch! _I thought to my self, but doesn't turn his head, he can't, transfixed by the scene ahead of him.

The executioner hands went down. The boy closed eyes, just as he heard a gross, maybe sympathetic moan from th crowd. He opened his eyes just as the executioner walked away, towards the castle.

"UTHER! HOW DARE YOU!" A woman screeched, startling the crowd. "THE EVIL YOU HAVE CAUSED, THE PAIN YOU CREATE! You do not deserve to be _king!_ At the last part she hissed.

The king, Uther, looked around the crowd, his eyes searching the person, all the while yelling, "Guards! Seize her!" Soon his eyes saw her, as did mine. She was an old woman, perhaps 70 years of age. She was glaring at Uther.

"You will pay _dearly_ for all the grief you have caused, Uther Pendragon!" The woman cried out. "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a toot," She paused. "A son for a son." She finished.

"SIEZE HER!" Uther cried out.

"pLean cristo SABBANA!" The woman cried out, and then a tonado just appeared in thin air and swallowed her up. The tornado fizzled out.

Visibly shaken, Uther ordered the guards to find her, and then retreated into his castle. The crowd realized there was no more action and dispersed. The boy saw some servants collect John Collins dead body, then looked away.

_Well _that_ was fascinating._ He thought sarcastically. _My first day in Camelot and I witness an execution. Oh what joy this will be._

_BREAK_

The boy knocked on the door. It was a small, wooden toward that curved into a point at the top.

"Hello?" He asked tentatively.

He heard a grunt from inside, and a voice said "Come in."

He opened the door and walked inside. The first thing he noticed was it was a small room, with bookshelves full of books, glass vials, and some instruments. Then he noticed an old man on a ladder, leaning against the wall, reaching for one of the vials.

"Just a moment." His voice called out, than an oof.

Time seemed to slow down for the boy as he realized the man was falling. As quick as instinct he reacted. He felt that _pull _that 6th sense reach onto him, his gut clenched as his eyes seemed to widen. For a second, he saw the world in gold. The man slowed down to barely moving and, with a quick look from the boy, the bed slid over to right beneath him, just as the man dropped.

Time stopped for the boy as he realized what he had just done. _Magic. _Crap. Now he was exposed, he would be killed today, he knew it. Maybe tomorrow. It wasn't his fault, he was born with it he didn't choose it! He couldn't even control it, he reacted out of pure instinct.

"I-uh-uh-umm-I-uh-...Are you okay...?" The boy asked, nervously.

The man just lay there, breathing hard, then the sat strait up and turned to me.

"Was that you!?" The man asked incredulously.

"Ummm... Maaaaybe?" He said, drawing out the a.

"What is you're name!?" The man asked.

"... Merlin." He, Merlin, started. "... Listen sir, I would do anything, please, just give me a chance, PLEASE!? It's not my fault, I was born with it!" He cried, no, _begged_, the man.

The man looked unsure of himself, looking at the door with a look of indecision on his face. Muttering to himself, he quickly walked to the door and slammed it shut. He whirled around and looked at me. "My name is Giaus." The man, Giaus said.

"_You're_ Giaus?!" Merlin asked. "My mother told me about you." He paused. "Here, a letter from my mother." He reached into his bag, containing clothes, some gold, mementos of his past-ah hah! His letter. He grabbed it and pulled it out. He turned toward Giaus, who had a curious look on his face, and gave him it. "My mother said you owe her, or something like that."

"Really? Well, let us find out." Giaus said, his voice bursting with curiosity. He went to his desk and opened a drawer. He reached in and pulled out a knife. "Letter opener." Giaus informed me. He cut the envelope and he pulled out the letter. Giaus began reading it, hmm-ing at different times. He looked up at me thoughtfully, then a troubled look came upon his face, though he tried to hide it.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked.

"No-no, nothing wrong... Hunith is you're mother?"

"Yes."

"Very well, then! I wasn't expecting you. You can put you're things in _that_ room," Giaus said, indication another door. "I will sleep in here."

"Ooh, I wouldn't want to intrude, if it's to much trouble, I can always go somewhere else." Merlin suggested, though Giaus could tell Merlin was hopeful he could stay here.

"It's fine, I sleep here most of the time anyways." Giaus replied.

"Alright, thank you, Giaus, you have no idea how much I appreciate this." Merlin said gratefully.

"You can only stay here on one condition." Giaus said mischievously, a glint in his eyes.

"What?"

Giaus handed him a sheet of papyrus, as long as his own body! "Fetch me those items, say it's for the king." Giaus said.

_That shouldn't be to hard. _Merlin thought. "... Alright, I guess I could do this..."

Merlin turned and walked out the door, but Giaus stopped him. "I don't believe I said thank you, Merlin."

Merlin looked behind him, "You're welcome, Giaus." He said with a smile, then turned and left.

**I know, I failed the Merlin and Giaus talk, I'm sorry. I had already typed, read it, realized it was trash but because my computer was trash, I couldn't fix it. Thanks for reading, please review, and I will update the next chapter soon.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, it's SERIOSLYNICK here, ready to give chapter 2 of my fanfic: Life as a Royal! Lets go, I can here the applause! C'mon! Nothing? Oh well. I'm pretty sure Arthur and Merlin meet in this chapter, not sure though. Who knows? Oh wait, I do! Don't worry if the fic is a bit slow, I will get on with, I'll try to make this really long.**

**Again, pairings includes a bit Merlin/Morgana and Arthur/Gwen. This is NOT a romantic piece though, so don't expect a lot of romance, especially at the beginning. I will try to make this fic in all categories, so expect everything.**

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.**

Merlin

Merlin never expected shopping to take that long. First he had to go to one shop, an then another on the opposite side. And this repeated over, and over, and over. It also was hard to carry everything, and now that I mention it, I'm pretty sure I missed a store. Oh well. The important part was he finished! Now all I have to do is give it to Giaus, then I'm free for the day.

Merlin trudged up the staircase to Giaus' chambers. Man, his arms were killing him. He could barely see where he put his feet. After finally reaching Giaus' chambers, he kicked it with his feet, warning Giaus he was coming. After a moment, the door opened, revealing Giaus.

"What took you so long, Merlin? I feared you had left, right after I cleared my things from you're room." Giaus said, a smile on his face.

"Sorry, there was so many stores," Merlin explained. "I'll make- wait what? I have my _own _room?!" At Giaus' chuckle, Merlin dropped everything he was holding and gave him a deep hug. "Oh, Giaus, you didn't have to do that! Thank you _so _much!" In Ealdor, he had to share a room with his mother and the rest of the house. Guests to, when they had them over for the night. To have his _own_ room was an unexpected luxury that most people take for granted.

"If you don't want it, I could always take it back." Giaus said teasingly.

"No! I mean, it's _perfect. _Thank you." He said breathlessly.

"Now, Merlin, pick up what you dropped, put them on that table." Giaus spoke, indicating a table on the opposite side of the room.

"Alrighty!" Merlin said, excitedly.

"I put an outfit on you're bed, get in it." Giaus ordered.

"Alright, but why?" Merlin questioned.

"You don't know?" Giaus asked incredulously. "We are celebrating 20 years of a magic free kingdom."

"Oh..." Merlin stated dejectedly.

"Ah... Don't worry my boy, keep you're magic a secret. Where did you learn anyways?" Giaus asked. "Ealdor shouldn't be able to afford the necessary teachers?"

"I told you, I was born with it." I replied.

"That's impossible!" Giaus interjected. "Nobody is _born _with it, they need years of teaching!"

"Tell that to the gods, I sure as heck didn't choose it!" I replied, "But I came to Camelot because I couldn't control i-"

"You can't _control_ it? Camelot is the _worst_ place to go if you can't control. One slip-up, only one, and you're killed on the spot!" Giaus snapped.

"As I was _saying, _mother wanted me to go to you, so you can help me control it. It's the only way." Merlin said, almost pleadingly. "_Please _teach me magic! I swear I will never get caught, I will never put you in danger!"

Giaus grunted, "Oh fine! I'll help you control you're magic."

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou Giaus, you won't regret this!" Merlin breathlessly said, and he rushed into his room.

"Don't forget the outfit!" Giaus called out. He heard a grunt of confirmation from behind the door.

Giaus grumbled to himself, then called back to Merlin, "I need to go somewhere, king's business, be right back!" Another grunt. Merlin could here the door opening and closing.

_Well, a nap couldn't hurt, could it? _He thought. I mean, he was drop dead exhausted. Yea, it couldn't hurt. Merlin laid down on his bed and curled up, thinking of his new home. His last thoughts were, _I hope _this _one actually lasts._

_Break_

Giaus walked to the throne rooms, a deeply troubled look on his face.

"Is there anything wrong, Giaus?" A kind voice called out. Giaus looked around and saw the maidservant to the Lady Morgana, Guinevere, or more affectionately called Gwen.

"No, Gwen, I just need to talk to the king." He replied.

Gwen rolled her eyes,"Their just talking about the search for Mary Collins."

Yes, Mary Collins. The witch at the execution. The one who vowed revenge. Uther probably didn't want her to ruin the ceremony. "Yes, that is a matter of grave importance." Giaus said sagely.

"Well, I better be off now, it's been nice chatting with you, Giaus." Gwen said.

Already on his way, Giaus said, "Goodbye, Gwen." And he hurried along. When he reached the throne room, he paused at the door. The guards didn't even stop him. He quietly entered the throne room.

"I need you to search for her again, she will not spoil this day!" Uther declared. "You are dismissed." The knights, led by Prince Arthur, Giaus recognized, exited the room, till all was left was just a hand full of guards, Uther, and himself.

"I need you to leave immediately," Giaus ordered the guards. They knew better than to question Giaus, and they left.

"What is it" Uther demanded of him.

"Do you remember Balinor, my lord?" Giaus asked nervously.

A dark look came upon him as he remembered the man. "Yes. Giaus, what is this about?"

"Did you know he had a son" Giaus hurriedly asked.

Uther was shocked, "This is new to me! We must hunt them down before-"

"Sire!" Giaus interrupted. "There is no need for that. Balinor doesn't know it either." Uther looked at him, telling him to get on with it. "The boy's mother didn't know she was pregnant until after Balinor left, the boy is innocent." Giaus declared.

"Nonsense, the boy is a-"

"The powers are only transferred when the father dies, and even then, the boy wouldn't know how to use it, he wouldn't know he _could_ use it." Giaus interjected.

"What's the boy's name?" Uther quietly demanded.

"Will you execute him?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Uther yelled.

"His name is... Merlin."

_Break_

Merlin jogged threw the town, feeling refreshed. He took an hour long power nap, and was ready to take on the day. He had decided to go for a jog, maybe explore the place. That is, until he saw one of the knights, a man his age with blond hair, cut near his upper neck, beating a servant. The boy couldn't have been 15 years of age!

"Hey you!" Merlin yelled out to the knight.

The knight, turned around, an incredulous look on his face. "You talking to me?!" The knight asked, scorn evident in his voice, his finger pointing at his face.

"Yea, you! Stop bullying!" I yelled.

"What?!" The knight incredulously asked, obviously shocked someone stood up to him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know you were deaf as well as dumb!" I snapped at him.

"Why you little-" The knight spoke, but cut it off midway to chase Merlin.

"Oh crap." Merlin whispered, and ran in the other direction.\

'Round and 'round they went, circling shops and homes, sometimes running threw them. Obviously, civilians got mad at them but didn't complain once they saw the knight. _What, does he bully everyone? _His impressions of the knight sank even lower than before. Eventually the knight one the little chase due to Merlin's lack of knowledge of the town. Merlin accidentally ran straight into a dead end. He swiveled around just to find the knight block off the only exit. _Crap, _Merlin thought to himself, what now? Than he saw it. The knight was standing right on a small plank of wood. _Perfect._

"Do you even know who I am?!" The knight asked.

" A clot pole?" Merlin guessed.

The knight just looked at him. "Wrong." He said. "I am Prince Arthur, heir to the crown of Camelot."

Merlin muttered, "The prince of clot poles, then."

"What did you just say!?"

"Nothing, Arty!"

"That's Prince Arthur to you!" Merlin rolled his eyes. Than without letting Arthur see his eyes, he called on his magic to move th wood. He felt the pull in his gut, and he willed it to move the plank Arthur was standing on, making Arthur slip backwards.

Merlin took this chance to run past Arthur and get back to Giaus, but Arthur was faster than he looked. He quickly filled the gap between them and tackled Merlin. The two rolled a bit, startling the civilians in the process, but Arthur eventually pinned Merlin down. A couple knights came and helped Arthur up, then they grabbed me.

"What is you're name." Arthur demanded of him.

"Merlin." I replied fearlessly.

"Send him to the dungeons." The prince ordered.

"What?!" Merlin complained, but the knights roughly pulled him back and led him to the dungeons. _Ah man! _

_Break_

"You're lucky I'm a close friend of Uther, and the court physician, I pulled some strings to get you out," Giaus lectured. "Just make sure not to make a habit of this."

"Believe me, I won't. It's not even my fault, he was being a bully." Merlin defended himself.

"He may have been a bully, but he is also the crown prince of Camelot."

"Well I didn't know!"

"Battle strategy #1: always know you're opponent before attacking."

"Yeah right, like you're some battle strategist." Merlin sarcastically said.

Giaus retorted, "I _am _the king's adviser on such matters."

"What!? You?!"

"It is irrelevant, you still shouldn't have attacked. It could have been a worse knight who would most definitely kill you."

"Ha! There's no way, no way _one_ knight would be able to take me down! Remember, Giaus? I am much more than what I appear."

Giaus looked scandalized, "You shall not use magic for such trivial tasks!"

"It obviously isn't trivial if he's trying to kill me." Merlin spoke on a sing-song voice.

Giaus muttered to himself, than said, "Whatever, go in you're room, get ready for the banquet."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that." Merlin stated. He began walking to his room, then stopped. Without turning, Merlin said, "Thank you, Giaus. Nobody has ever 'pulled some strings' for me." Then he walked into his room before letting Giaus say anything. He walked to his bed and grabbed his outfit. It looked simple enough. A plain, royal red tunic, and brown pants. He put those on. _Something is missing. _He looked around. _Ah, that would do. _He grabbed his blue neckerchief and put it on around his neck, covering what bit of the chest his tunic showed off. Next he saw a blue jacket, made of a rough leather. Grabbing that, he put it on. It completed his outfit, matching with the red tunic and blue neckerchief very nicely. He stepped outside his room. "Giaus?" Merlin began, "How do I look?"

Giaus, without looking, said, "I'm sure you look fine, it's not like anyone's going to see you anyways."

"Well, maybe, maybe not. Does it look good?"

Giaus turned, an irritated look on his face. He glanced at his outfit, "It looks fine, Merlin."

"Thanks, Giaus." Merlin cheerfully said, a now-trademark grin etched on his face. "I'll be in my room if you need me, tell me when we leave!" And Merlin went to his room, smiles on both Giaus and Merlin's faces.

_Break_

Uther paced down his throne room, towards the door, than towards the throne, door, throne, over and over again. The reason: Balinor's son. He never knew Balinor had a son, but Giaus assured him Merlin was ignorant of his lineage. Uther supposed no harm could come to the boy, but the reason he was not going to kill the boy, is because he felt guilty. Balinor was his friend, and he even helped Uther kill those beasts, but then once his usefulness was over, Uther turned on him, sent knights to kill him, driving him from the home he had found in Ealdor. _What can I do to make it up to him... That's it! I could do that! _With this new goal in mind, he strolled out his throne room to his chambers. He has to look his best for the feast tonight.

**Yea I know, you are all waiting patiently for Merlin and Arthur to have a better meeting, but don't worry, they will meet soon, maybe one more chapter. Morgana too. Thanks for reading, plz review, I need reviews to make more chapters. Tell me what you think, like if I'm spelling someone's name wrong, or got some facts wrong, plz tell me. Also give me ideas, I'm only one man, I can't think of an entire story. Again, read and review. **


	3. Chapter 3

**SERIOSLYNICK back! Whoohoo! Ready for another chapter of Life as a Royal? I know I am! Please read, review, it's not that hard, and it encourages me to keep writing.**

**Artur and Merlin meet again in this chapter, Gwen too. If I can, Morgana. **

**Ratings: T **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin**

Merlin

Merlin strolled through the castle halls, servants, knights, nobles were everywhere, bustling here and there, sometimes colliding with each other. _Camelot can get really packed. _Merlin thought as he ducked from a nobleman's swinging arm. He was just exploring the castle a bit, maybe meet some people, but it was too packed to do anything, really. _I better go back to Giaus' rooms. _Merlin decided. He turned back and started walking toward Giaus' rooms when he ran into someone-quite literally.

"Ow!" I said.  
"Oof!" The person said as I heard a soft thump.

_Did he fall!? _Merlin thought. Then he realized the he was a she. She had dark, caramel skin, dark, flowing hair, and a servant's dress. _She must be a servant. _Merlin stupidly thought. He also realized the thump he heard would have been a basket she had dropped, it was full of clothes.

"Oh, I am _so _sorry, I didn't mean to! I didn't watch where I was going, sorry!" She said. I got a good look at here face. _She's pretty. _Merlin thought.

"Oh, no. It's completely my fault, _I'm _sorry." Merlin apologized.

The girl looked at him wearily, as if trying to decide if he was honest, then she smiled at me and said, "I haven't seen you around here before, who are you?"

"I'm new here, I came from Ealdor, in Cenred's kingdom. My name's Merlin." Merlin said with his smile.

Her eyes darkened a bit when he mentioned Cenred. "Oh.. Well hello Merlin, I'm Guinevere, but people call me Gwen!"

"Hi, Gwen!"

She chuckled a bit, "Hello, Merlin."

"Could you tell me where the feast is gonna be?"

"Umm, in the throne room. All the feasts and celebrations are usually in there."

"Odd." Merlin stated.

"Quite, indeed. Where are you staying?"

"With Giaus, the physician."

"Giaus? Really?"

"Yea, he's an old family friend."

"That's cool."

"Uh-huh." Than Merlin looked sheepish, "Where's the throne room?"

Gwen chuckled, "It's over _there._" She said, indicating a passage. "At the end of the hallway, 2nd from the end."  
"Alright, thanks. Bye, Gwen!" Merlin said.

"Good-bye, Merlin." Gwen said, then she turned and left.

_Might as well check out where the throne room is. _He went down the hallway Gwen indicated. _ The 2nd from the end. The 2nd from the end. _He chanted. There, he saw the end. _This one is the second door from the end. _He paused in front of the door. He took a deep breath, and he quietly opened the door.

The first thing he noticed was this was not the throne room. He saw a queen size bed, a huge, ornate dresser, a golden window frame with green curtains, and a changing screen in the middle of the room. _Oops. _He had just began walking away when he heard, "Gwen? Is that you?"

His mind raced. _What do I do, what do I do!? _"Hmm." He said in agreement, with a high pitched voice.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

Merlin couldn't help it, he looked. He saw threw a gap between the screen and the wood frame. He saw black, silky hair cascading down her neck. His eyes lowered even more and saw bare back-_NO! _He wrenched his gaze away from the lady. He lowered his eyes and said, "Sore throat." in that high pitch voice. "Be right back." He left the room in a hurry. And ran right into Gwen. Again.

"Merlin!" She laughed. "What are you doing?"

"If anyone asks, you had a sore throat and stepped outside to clear it out." Merlin said, then rushed away.

Her eyes lit up with understanding, and a smile graced her mouth. She chuckled softly and entered her master's chamber's. "I'm back, Morgana."

_Break_

Merlin stood behind Giaus, as Giaus took his seat at the long table, filled with nobles and knights. And food. Merlin's stomach growled. Apparently Giaus had neglected to tell him that I couldn't eat at the feast because I wasn't a noble. _You would almost think Giaus did this on purpose. _In fact, Merlin suspected that Giaus did do this on purpose. _At least you get to come, that's a luxury most people don't have. _Giaus had said. Well, I would rather be in my room, _sitting,_ and eating some food, instead of standing behind Giaus has he ate his food, while being introduced to Giaus' friends. Merlin noticed the girl he had barged in on while she was changing was on Uther's left. He blushed at the memory. He also spotted Prince Arthur on Uther's right.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" A voice at the head of the table boomed. King Uther. "Today, we celebrate 20 year anniversary of capturing the Great Dragon." _Great Dragon?! _"And 20 years after our defeat of magic." The crowd cheered enthusiastically. "We celebrate with this feast, and we are graced with the singing of Lady Helen!" The crowd cheered again. Giaus had told me Lady Helen was supposed to sing for us, and she is said to be the best singer with the most beautiful voice.

Lady Helen, he presumed, entered the throne room gracefully, wearing a startling red dress that seemed to glitter. The crowd died down as she went up to King Uther and bowed down to him. She rose and they smiled at each other. Uther gestured at her to start singing.

When Lady Helen began singing, it was like heaven. It was the best thing he ever heard. It was so peaceful, so beautiful. Merlin's eyes slowly began to drift shut. His eyes closed. He realized what had happened. _He had almost fallen asleep! _He checked to see if anybody had noticed he almost fell asleep. But as he looked, he saw everyone, _everyone_, had fallen asleep. _What?! _Slowly cobwebs appeared everywhere, and Lady Helen's voice slowly turned from beautiful and smooth, to ugly and hoarse. Lady Helen seemed to be taking an appearance as an old lady. _The old lady from earlier! Mary Collins! _She glared at Uther and Arthur, and she slid a knife out from the folds of her dress. This startled Merlin into action, and he glanced at the chandelier above her. He felt that pull again, and willed the chandelier to break. The chandelier broke, and fell toward Mary Collins. But she already threw the knife. It was heading for Arthur. The chandelier dropped on her with a loud clang, killing her instantly, and ending her spell. People began getting up, some complaining loudly, some embarrassed. Uther tried to act like he never fell asleep. But no one could wake up fast enough to save Arthur.

Merlin sprang into attention. He ran strait for Arthur, yelling, "GET OUT OF THE WAY!" But still, Arthur didn't move. He was still half-asleep. Merlin doubled his pace, he used his magic to slow the knife down. He couldn't do much more without revealing himself. He ran up to Arthur and tackled him down. The knife embedded itself into Arthur's throne.

The crowd went silent. Uther stared at me in shock, well, everybody did. Immediately I was grabbed by a group of knights and pushed to my knees. Uther glared at me, and he was about to take his sword and kill me himself for pushing Arthur.

"Wait."Arthur's voice came. Arthur was staring at his chair in utter shock. Uther followed his gaze, shock on his face too. Eventually the crowd saw the knife, and the dead body of Mary Collins. Pandemonium occurred.

Everyone began talking at once, or just plain screaming. Eventually, Uther commanded, "SILENCE!" The crowd was dead silent. Uther regained his composure. "Mary Collins is dead. She must had taken the form of Lady Helen to try and get close to us. As you can see, she tried to assassinate Prince Arthur." A murmur from the crowd. "She enchanted us to fall asleep so she can kill him, but the chandelier fell on her, killing her." Giaus gave me a pointed look. "This brave, young man," He indicated Merlin. "realized Arthur was in danger and saved him. I am forever in debt to him. What is you're name?" He asked.

It took Merlin awhile to find his voice. "Merlin." He stated weakly. Uther looked absolutely shocked at this, and quickly glanced at Giaus. _What's going on?_

"Well, Merlin, you have our gratitude. Knights, take her body away!" He ordered. In a lower tone he spoke, "Arthur, thank him. It's terrible manners if you don't."

Arthur looked me, and said, "You're the boy from the town."

I nodded. "Yes."

"I owe you my life, though I'm afraid I cannot repay you."

"I require no gratitude. You're safety is my reward." I said wisely.

Arthur nodded. I could see a little respect in his eyes when he looked at me.

"Good." Uther said. "Everybody!" Silence. "The feast is over. Please return to you're chambers and get some rest."

Slowly, the crowd dispersed, talking and grumbling all the while. I wasn't sure what to do so I tried to find Giaus. I eventually found him waiting for the doorway to clear up so he can go home. "Giaus." Merlin began.

Giaus turned around, and spoke, "I'm proud of you, boy, but we will talk when we get back."

"Alright." Merlin said.

_Break_

The talk with Giaus was uneventful. Basically he just told me not to use magic that much, and said he was proud of me. He did make me some food though.

_This food is great, way better than in Ealdor. _Merlin thought while he ate his food. Truthfully, he didn't know what it was, but it tasted good.

A knock on the door interrupted his musings. "Come in!" He called. The door opened revealing King Uther himself. Merlin stood strait up and wiped food of his mouth. "Sire!" He greeted.

"Hello, Merlin. I just wanted to thank you personally for saving my son." He said.

"I was just doing my duty, sire." He began to feel self-conscious.

"But you are not a citizen of Camelot." Uther argued.

"I believe it is my duty as a human, sire." Merlin explained.

Uther paused. "Are you afraid of me?" He began, a bit off topic.

"Wha-what? N-no!"

Uther chuckled, "It's okay, explain.

"My first moment in Camelot I saw you execute a man for no reason!" He blurted out, then he covered his mouth with his hand, a fearful look in his eyes.

Uther merely raised his eyebrow.

Merlin tried to redeem himself, "I mean- I know why- magic is banned- it's evil- he practiced magic." Merlin hurriedly said.

Uther chuckled. "Do you know who you're father is?" He asked, off topic yet again.

This startled Merlin. "N-no, sire."

He sighed, "I thought so. Giaus informed me of you're father," _Giaus knew my father? _"He was a very close friend of mine. In his absence, I would be pleased to adopt you as my son." He said.

_Wait, what!? _I was too startled to speak. The king of Camelot has just said he will adopt me. What?! There are a million things wrong with that, one of them being the fact that _I have magic_. He of course doesn't know that.

"I already informed Giaus, he said he was fine with it."

"I-I-I-I don't-I don't-"

Uther cut him off, "Pack tonight, a servant will come to take you to you're room in the morning. Sleep well, Merlin." Uther said, and he exited Giaus' chambers.

Silence. Merlin just stared at the door Uther just left threw. What? This made no sense, he was a _prince_! He shuddered at the thought. Maybe this is all some sort of nightmare. Merlin decided that it must be, all this was an illusion. He crawled into bed, no longer hungry. His last thought before succumbing to sleep was, _There is no way this is real_.

**Yup, that was chapter 3! Woo! That took me awhile to write, but it was fun. Merlin is finally a prince! Next chapter we see how others react to the change, namely Arthur and Morgana. I will try to have the next chapter up as soon as I can, but seeing as it's Thanksgiving tomorrow, I may not be able to post a chapter till Friday. I apologize for any grammatical errors, I am only on man, and I try my best.**

**On another note, if I don't post soon, Happy Thanksgiving! WOO! The day of eating, sleeping, and video games.**

**How did you guys like that Merlin/Morgana scene?**

**Thanks for reading, please review.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Happy Thanksgiving! Or I hope you're Thanksgiving was awesome! Or I hope you're Thanksgiving will be awesome! Depends when you're reading this. Whatever. Merlin meets his new family in the chapter. Expect chaos at the dinner table. Or breakfast dinner... Is it lunch table? Whatever. **

**Alright, what am I thankful for? Food. A bed. A computer. Oh! And my reviewers! Thanks for the reviews guys, keep 'em coming!**

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.**

Merlin

"Are you _mad_, father!?" An upset voice began. "You just _cannot _say, 'you have a new brother' IN THE MIDDLE OF FREAKIN BREAKFAST!"

"Morgana, please, I didn't know he existed until yesterday. He is the son of one of my oldest friends, and his dad is gone to who knows where!" Uther said.

"I agree with Morgana, father. You cannot just pop in at the breakfast table and say, 'good morning, today you will do this and that- oh, by the way, you have a new brother.' Just, no, father." Another voice said, this one belonging to Prince Arthur.

"Yea!" A wounded voice said in agreement, belonging to Morgana.

"Children, please. Do this for me." Uther begged.

Morgana 'hmmpfed' loudly, Arthur just stared at his bowl of porridge silently. "What is his name?" Arthur eventually asked.

"Merlin." Uther answered.

"The boy who saved me?!" Arthur asked. Morgana also looked intrigued, remembering the boy.

"Yes, him." Uther confirmed.

Arthur and Morgana shared a look. "Father," Morgana began. "He may have saved Arthur's life, but did you see the way he carries himself? He slouches, his arms dangle, he is not proper! The court, and all the other kingdom's will laugh when they see Camelot's new 'prince'!" She finished. Uther remained silent.

"Look, father, I know you must feel in debt to his father, but you just cannot do this!" Arthur said.

"I have made my decision, it is final! I cannot go back on my word!" Uther declared. Arthur and Morgana shared another look. Once Uther made a decision, one can absolutely not change his mind.

"Very well. When do we meet our new 'brother?'" Arthur asked calmly, but with a bit of a mocking tone.

"At breakfast. And you will treat him with the proper respect!" Came the reply.

"Oh don't worry, father, we will give him a chance. Won't we, Arthur?" Morgana sneakily said.

Arthur, catching her drift, replied just as sneakily, "Oh, yes we will. You have nothing to fear, father."

Uther glanced at them worriedly, "Good."

"But you said we will meet him at breakfast, father, and I already finished mine." Morgana said.

"Mine too." Arthur agreed.

Uther sighed. Those two will never accept Merlin. They will do all in their power to make his life a living hell. "He must be running a bit late." He answered.

_Break_

Merlin yawned groggily. Was it already time to get up? He glanced past the man holding a pile of clothes to his-wait what?! Merlin sat strait up. "Who are you!" Merlin demanded.

"I am William, sire. I am you're servant." 'William' said.

"Wha-huh!?" Merlin sputtered.

"I have already tidied you're room, got you're new wardrobe, polished you're boots, picked out you're clothes- there is a slight chill in the air." William, obviously a boot-licker, said in a monotone voice.

Merlin just blinked and looked around his room. It was _very _tidy. The floor was scrubbed, his boots polished, he even saw his bag packed with all his things. What happened? Suddenly it all came back to him. Mary Collins, Camelot, Arthur, Uther- Wait. I'm a prince! Oh crap. Breakfast with the king! He jumped out of bed. Duly, he noticed he was in his clothes from yesterday, "What time is it?!" Merlin demanded.

"It is early morning, sire." William replied.

"Am I late?" Merlin asked.

"For breakfast with you're family? Yes. By a good hour." He answered.

Merlin suddenly released a torrent of swear words not even he knew he knew. "Why didn't you wake me?!" Merlin asked.

"I did not want to wake you, sire." William calmly answered. Merlin rushed out of bed and took of his shirt.

"Give me my clothes!"  
William handed him his shirt and pants.

Merlin put on his shirt, than, just as he was about to take his pants off, he stopped, "Could you maybe, I don't know, _not_, look!"

"Of course, sire." Came the reply. _Creep_.

After changing, he looked over himself. He was dressed with a deep blue tunic made of the finest clothe. It had a little v-neck meant for showing off his chest, he supposed. Merlin put his red neckerchief over it. Next was the brown pants. They seemed to be made of some kind of an animal skin. He put his favorite boots on.

"Here, sire." William said, handing him something. Merlin looked at it. It was a brown, leather jacket. He put that on too.

"Where is breakfast?" Merlin questioned.

"This way, sire." William said, and led him out of Giaus' chambers.

When they passed Giaus, who turned their way when they passed him, Merlin yelled, "Be back later!" Giaus didn't even get the chance to reply because Merlin was already out the door, his servant in tow.

They passed many people on the way to breakfast. Some recognized him from yesterday night and called out to him. When this happened, he merely raised his hands toward them in greeting. Finally they reached a door.

"Here it is, sire." William stated. Merlin moved to open the door, but William, seeing something, whispered, "Wait!"

But it was to late, Merlin opened the door. Merlin could see three heads turn towards the door. "What?!" Merlin whispered.

"I need to fix you're jacket!"

"What!? No!" Merlin whispered/yelled, and walked in. William followed him touching the part of the jacket by his right elbow. "William, stop it! Will-ow!" William poked him with a sewing needle. Merlin looked at what he was doing. Something was hanging out of his jacket, a thread. Oh well, who cares! Apparently William did. Merlin moved to his seat, William all the while poking his elbows. When he sat down, he was about to look at his 'family' (He was too embarrassed to look at them before) when William started raking his hair with a wet comb.

"Ow! William, do you have to!"

"Yes, sire." Eventually, he finished and Merlin cautiously looked at his 'family.' He spotted Uther, at the head, with his mouth opening a bit, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. Arthur's mouth was just gaping wide open, disbelief evident in his eyes. He saw a third person, the girl that he barged in on the other day, Morgana, Giaus informed him. Her mouth was also slightly opened, eyes with clear disbelief that I could be so non-proper.

"Um, hi!" Merlin tried.

Uther shut his mouth, and leaned back. Arthur closed his mouth and looked away embarrassedly. Morgana closed her mouth, mockingly said, "How nice of you to join us."

"Behave, child!" Uther chastised. "You embarrass me!"

Morgana rolled her eyes. "Yes, father."

More silence... and more... and more... _awkward_. _What do you do when you meet you're family for the first time... You cry, they hold you, you cry more, than you burp...That's babies... Hmm. What to do, what to do... Ah, I know!_

"Sooo, What's up?" Merlin asked, hesitantly.

Morgana rolled her eyes and muttered something that suspiciously sounded like "idiot". Arthur just sat there, like a dollop head. Uther was the first to start a conversation.

"Let's start with introductions! Merlin, Arthur, you know each other. Merlin meet the Lady Morgana, my ward."

Merlin turned toward Morgana, "H-hello, Morgana."

"Hello, Merlin." She said, but it wasn't mockingly, or rude. Almost nice.

"William!" Uther called. "Give Merlin some food."

"Yes, sire."

Up until that point, Merlin forgot he was even hungry. But now he realized that the only food he has had in two days was a sandwich, and half of some stew. And he was starving. Will placed a bowl of what seemed to be porridge. Merlin was right about to dig in when he realized, _This is my chance to impress them_. Merlin wanted nothing more than their approval.

He started by taking his spoon with his right hand, sat up straight, elbows of the table, and slowly ate. One spoonful at a time.

Uther saved us from an embarrassing silence yet again. He said, "Merlin is the son of one of my closest friends and allies in the attack against magic. He took down many magical creatures that threatened the land."

"Well lets hope Merlin here shares his father's courage and strength." Arthur said. "So who is you're father, anyways. Maybe I've heard of him."

Merlin looked down at his food silently. "I don't know... I never met him."

Arthur actually looked sympathetic. "I understand, I'm sorry to bring it up. I lost my mother when she gave birth to me." A dark look entered Uther's eyes, not unnoticed by Merlin.

"I'm sorry." Merlin said.

"I understand too, Merlin." Morgana said. "My mother died shortly after my birth, and my father died when I was 10 years of age."

"I'm sorry, Morgana. That must have been hard for you." I told her. She nodded in agreement.

"Where do you come from, Merlin?" Uther asked.

"Ealdor, a village in Cenred's kingdom." Merlin replied. Their eyes darkened. Cenred was no friend of Camelot.

"How was it?" Morgana asked.

"Nothing special. Couple fields, two cows. But it was home." Merlin answered.

"What made you come to Camelot?" Arthur asked.

"Ealdor was boring. I wanted to meet Giaus, he was an old family friend."

"Ooh."

"Well, I will be going. It's been nice meeting you Merlin, really." Morgana said. "I shall see you later.

"Oh, I almost forgot! I need to train the knights!" Arthur hurriedly said. They both left.

"Well, Merlin, welcome to the family!They will warm up to you, don't worry. I must get going too. William will take you to your chambers. Goodbye." Uther said.

"Goodbye, sire."

"Please, dispense with the formalities, call me father." He said with a kind smile.

"Alright, father." Merlin tried. It felt weird saying it. He liked it though.

Uther smiled at him, and left, leaving Merlin alone with is unfinished food and a servant.

**That was extremely awkward to write,** **but how did you like it? Did I fail the conversation? Let me know.**

**Please give me some ideas, all criticism accepted.**

**I'm really glad I could get this out today, because I know I won't have time tomorrow, seeing as it's Thanksgiving, so expect a chapter by Friday (hopefully).**

**Please take a moment of you're time to tell me what you think though reviews. They encourage me to write faster. **

**Have a happy Thanksgiving!**


	5. Chapter 5

**SERIOSLYNICK here, what's up guys? How was your Thanksgiving? Good? Bad? Not American? **

**Thanks, again, for all you reviewers, please continue to review. Non-reviewers, please start reviewing, it really makes my day. **

**I did not forget the Great Dragon, do not worry. **

**In this chapter, don't expect too much, I prefer one-on-one conversations. Basically all Merlin will be doing is settling in. Read and review.**

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.**

Merlin

After Merlin finished his bowl of porridge, He had William take him back to Giaus' room. Very little was said while they made their way to Giaus.

When they reached Giaus' room, Merlin asked, "So I have my own chambers?"

"Yes, sire." Came to monotone response.

"Please wait out here." Merlin said. William said nothing.

Merlin opened the door and stepped inside, closing the door behind him as he entered. "Giaus," Merlin somberly announced.

Giaus spun around in surprise. "Merlin!" Giaus greeted. They embraced each other.

"Giaus..." Merlin whispered into Giaus' shoulder.

"Merlin, my dear boy, what's wrong?" Giaus affectionately asked.

Merlin wiped his eyes with his jacket sleeve. "It's just all coming to me." Merlin poorly explained. But Giaus new what he meant.

Merlin traveled to Camelot hoping Giaus could teach how to control magic. However, Merlin ended up becoming a prince and a son to the very person who would have him killed. _Uther_. The man who had a grudge against magic, so he took the throne of Camelot and persecuted all creatures with magic. Including humans. He said that magic corrupts the very soul, that all those who have it cannot be saved, but is that enough to justify the hundreds Uther killed to try and rid the world of magic? Innocents, children, they all died. People who only used magic for healing, for good. They were forced to march to their deaths. Children, whose parents encouraged them to practice magic, pushed down a well to drown. And leave it all to Uther to adopt a friendly sorcerer to make things complicated. He couldn't even control his powers, how can Giaus hope to teach him while he's prince?!

"It will be alright. _Mer_lin, you must listen to me, okay? Uther must not find out about your magic. He will kill you without a second thought." Giaus cautioned.

Merlin lifted his eyes, still a bit watery and red, and gave a sad half-smile. "Way to make me feel better." Merlin said sarcastically.

Giaus chuckled softly, "On a happier note, how was breakfast?"

Merlin's averted his eyes and looked down to the ground.

Giaus sighed. He softly said, "Don't worry, I'm sure they'll warm up to you. They just need some time."

"I hope you're right, Giaus." Merlin sadly said.

"Of course I'm right! I'm the old, wise man everyone talks about!" Giaus said offended, fake, of course.

Merlin widened his eyes. "Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend you! Please, forgive me!" Merlin begged, and even bowed to the floor.

Giaus exclaimed, "_Mer_lin! I was only joking!" Merlin looked up, and Giaus saw he was _smiling_! "You pulled my leg!" Merlin chuckled. "You know, not many people can do that."

"I guess I'm just that awesome." Merlin said.

Giaus chuckled. "I guess you're just that awesome." He agreed. Silence. "Merlin, I will still continue to train you, but we must be more careful. I will give you a book that has some beginner tips.: He said. He went over to his bookshelf. He muttered to himself as he touched the books. "Ah!" He exclaimed. He took one book and pulled it back. Immediately the book shelf _clicked_ and Giaus pulled it open.

_A secret door!? Cool! _Merlin thought, envious of Giaus' room._ Oh well, I'm getting a better room than this soon. _

__Giaus reached behind the bookshelf and brought out a thick book. He turned and gave it to Merlin. "There, that book has some controlling exercises for you. Don't let anyone see this. Uther would have _both _our heads if he finds out." He cautioned.

"Aw! Thank _you_, Giaus! I swear I will not get caught." Merlin promised.

"Good." Giaus said. "Put it in your bags."

_Wait, _bags_? _He only had one bag. He rushed into his room and saw that yes, he had five bags, all packed with things. _What the heck?! _He went outside to Giaus and asked, "Did you do all this?"

Giaus chuckled again. "No," He replied, "One of the servants came in here and said, 'Four bags for prince Merlin!'. He seemed to think that _I _was _you_."

"Well, I don't think I'll be _that _old anytime soon." Merlin teased.

"Let's certainly hope not." Giaus seriously said. Merlin agreed.

There was a moment of comfortable silence. Merlin broke the silence by saying, "Well, I best get going." Giaus nodded in agreement. "WILLIAM!" Merlin called.

William entered the room and immediately collected the bags, all five of them. Merlin offered to carry some, but William politely refused, saying, "What would Camelot think if they saw their prince doing servants' work." Merlin had to agree that he had a point. He wanted to impress Camelot, not make them think he was a fool.

"Thanks again, Giaus. For everything." Merlin said.

Giaus nodded. "You're welcome. Stop by any time, and when you finish that book I gave you. I'll need that back."

Merlin glanced at William. "I will." With one final look around the room, he stepped through the door, closing it behind him.

_Break_

Merlin looked around his new room. On the left was a king-sized bed with red sheets. On the bed's right, was a small table, it had a candle on it.. On the bed's left was a good 2 feet of space, then a wall. Past the table was a wardrobe, than a wall. Going to the wall that faces the door, there is a working desk, right up against the wall. There was a window by the desk. On the other half of the wall, there was a sofa, very comfortable looking. On the wall to the right of the door, there was a collection of chairs. Two were wooden, three were made of leather, all five of them facing the right wall, which had a fire place. There was already a fire going, warming up the place. Merlin stepped inside. He had never seen a room so big. He turned to face the door, and noticed another door on the right side. He also saw on the wall with the entrance, their was another desk, but it had drawers, and was not practical for working on it. Also on the walls were torches, two on every wall.

"William," Merlin called. "Where does that door lead?" He asked, pointing to the other, smaller door he noticed earlier.

"That, sire, is the servant's chamber. I have my own, but if you would like, I could move into that one." He answered.

"Oh, no. That's okay. You can put the bags on my bed." Merlin said, realizing he hadn't told William to set the bags down.

William put the bags on my bed. Then he returned to the door way and looked at me, waiting for other directions.

Merlin asked, "Are there any events that will happen today that I will be aware of? What is my schedule?"

William answered, "At midday, I will bring you your lunch. Then, in the evening, I shall escort you to the ceremonial feasting room, where you will have dinner with your family and the nobles of the court."

Merlin's stomach clenched with anxiety. He needs to eat with his family again, and with the nobles of the court. He was not looking forward to the evening.

"Very well. Until then, you are free to do whatever you want." Merlin announced.

William bowed, muttering, "Very well, sire." And he left.

Merlin took a deep breath, and sat on his bed. He looked around his room, his eyes lingering on the fire place. It was all great and all, but it just wasn't _him_. It was stone cold, even though there was a fire place blazing. It had no personality. He'd have to fix that. But how?

A knock on the door interrupted his musing. Was it time for lunch already. He got off the bed and opened the door, expecting William. But it wasn't.

It was Gwen.

"Gwen!" Merlin happily said. "What are you doing here!?"

"I'm here," She said. "Because I think you need a _little _help decorating the place. And to drop by."

"Well thank goodness for that!" He exclaimed. "I thought I was going mad just from the boringness of it all!"

Gwen chuckled. "I thought so. My mistress had the same problem when she came here." Gwen explained.

"Who's your mistress?" Merlin asked.

Gwen answered, "The Lady Morgana, of course."

"Oh."

Gwen reached over and touched his arm. "She sent me because she was thinking of you." She explained softly.

Merlin snorted. "Yeah, probably thinking how _stupid _and utterly _ridiculous _I am!" He complained.

"Oh come on, give her more credit than that!" She said, "She will warm up to you, she's just not used to the change."

"Okay, but I made a fool of myself at breakfast... I doubt I'll get a second chance from Morgana _or _Arthur." Merlin said.

"Well," Gwen began slowly, "I'm not sure about _Arthur_, but I do know that you left an impression on Morgana. A good one."

Merlin shrugged, "I guess I'll find out at dinner tonight." He said.

"And you won't be disappointed. You'll do fine." Gwen encouraged.

"Anyways," Merlin began, "Could you help me with my room?"

"Of course!" Gwen replied, they began taking things out of their bags and placing them places.

_Break_

At around midday, William had brought lunch for Merlin, like he said he would. It consisted of bread, cheese, grapes, 4 apples, 4 oranges, 6 chicken legs, and some turkey meat. Needless to say, he shared more than half of it with Gwen.

Now it was nearing the evening, and the knot in Merlin's stomach tightened even more. Gwen did her best trying to cheer him up, saying, 'Really, it is _nothing_. Just sit there, looking pretty.' and 'You don't even have to do anything, just eat, shake hands, and say pleased to meet you.' But even these words of encouragement did much to ease that knot.

Gwen had abandoned the task of trying to make it seem not all that bad, and was now trying to make him forget about it. It was working. She was telling him about Arthur and Morgana, embarrassing and funny stories so they don't sound so perfect. She told him about her father, Tom, and her lost brother, Eleyan. She told him about herself, about times when she fancied Arthur, and times when she hated his guts (Most of the time, Merlin heard.). And in time, Merlin was telling her about Ealdor, his mother, Hunith. His absent father. About his childhood friend, Will. But he did not tell her about his magic. That was one of his secrets he decided to keep.

Then William came, and ruined Gwen's attempt at making Merlin at ease.

"Sire, sorry to interrupt. I must get you ready for dinner." He had announced.

Merlin soured immediately, and said, "Well, thanks for helping me with my room, Gwen."

"My pleasure, sire." She said politely, in a monotone voice.

Merlin raised his eyebrow at her 'sire' part. She gave him a look that said, 'I'm a servant, I can't be seen as your friend.' Merlin nodded his head in understanding.

"If you can please leave us?" William asked Gwen, even though his tone made it seem like a demand. _What's that about_.

Gwen slightly bowed her head at William. "Of course." And she left.

William turned to me, "I must prepare you for dinner, sire." He said.

Merlin nodded his head. _Great, he may have just scared away my only friend, and know I have to survive another meal with my family_.

**Sorry it took so long to update, I was busy with my family, blah, blah, blah. Anyways, I hope you guys liked it. In my opinion, it is my best one. Please review. It takes a moment to just type,'good work' or 'great story' or even 'this sucks'. Constructive criticism is accepted and encouraged. I might try to fit the Great Dragon in on the next chapter, but if not, than the next one after that. I will post the next chapter tomorrow, hopefully. I can't if I die. Or my computer breaks. Either one. Anyways, again, PLEASE review. I may not finish the story if you guys don't review. But, to those people who _do _review, I thank you _so _much! You guys make my day! Give me any questions you want, and I will do my best to answer them. Please answer some of my own. Did I make any OOCs? Did I mess up the Gwen and Merlin scene? The Giaus and Merlin scene? Let me know. Give me suggestions, otherwise I'm just staring at the screen for a couple hours, thinking, 'What do I write, what do I right?' Again, please review, it makes my day.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 is here! Woo! Well anyways, I wanted to thank you guys _so _much for the reviews. They make my life complete. And the more reviewers I get, the faster I write. Constructive criticism is encouraged. **

**Merlin has to survive eating with his family again. That's basically it.**

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.**

Merlin

"Alright, William. Is that all?" Merlin asked. William was making sure Merlin was dressed properly. The last time this happened, there was a _small_, _unnoticeable _thread hanging out of his right elbow. William, of course, tried fixing it _while _he was walking toward the table. Merlin was not making the same mistake twice.

William examined him. "Yes, sire. Nothing wrong." He replied.

"Good. Take me to the ceremonial feasting room." Merlin said. They had to eat dinner with his family again, but this time, he was going to be introduced to all the nobles and ladies of the court. Obviously, he was nervous.

"They just call it the throne room, sire." William stated.

Merlin paused. "I thought you just called it the ceremonial feasting room a few minutes ago." He accused.

William replied, "It was either one, sire."

"Sure." Merlin said, doubtfully.

William began, "You must keep your back straight." Merlin looked at him for a moment, than straightened his back. "Remember not to slouch. Keep your arms straight at your side when you stand. When walking, keep your arms stiff, and swing them as you walk. Put power in it, but the swings can't be too big." _Was William trying to teach me how to be proper? _"Tense your muscles. Keep your grip strong. Do not look uncertain." He instructed.

Merlin practiced all of these actions, inwardly smiling when William nodded in approval.

"Can I- May I," Merlin corrected himself, "May I wear my neckerchief?"

"No, sire. The neckerchief does not go well with your outfit, and is unfit for a royal to wear."

_Ah man! _Merlin _really _liked his neckerchief. He got them from his friend, Will, back in Ealdor. He also wouldn't be able to cover up the skin that the tunic shows off. He looked down, at the visible chest skin. It's not like it would impress anyone anyways. He decided to grin and bear it, his motto. It's how he dealt with having magic, when magic users were persecuted. It's how he will have to go threw tonight.

"Very well." Merlin reluctantly said. "Lead me to the throne room."

William nodded, and, together, they left Merlin's room.

_Break_

Morgana stood straight as Gwen fumbled with her dress. Gwen had more trouble than usual with this dress. It was a simple green dress, and very teasing. She always causes heads to turn when she arrived at parties or feasts, or even just walking through corridors. Uther had tried to make her wear such 'ridiculous' dresses, but she liked them.

"So, how is he?" Morgana asked.

"He is a lot better than you think. Not as arrogant as a noble, but smarter than a peasant, and he has _very _nice manners. He does not think himself above servants." She answered. They were, of course, talking about Merlin, the new prince.

"I suppose I should greet him warmly, than." She said.

"Yes," Gwen said. "Maybe you should be nice to him."

"I shall, than. I might even talk to him." She said to herself.

"I shall hope you do, my lady." Gwen replied. Morgana gave her maidservant an irritated look at the 'my lady' part. She hates it when her friends call her 'my lady.'

"Am I finished?" Morgana asked, changing the subject.

Noticing the change in subject, she said, "Yes, Morgana. You're all set."  
"Good," Morgana said. "Will you be at the dinner?"

"Yes, I am a serving woman, too, remember?" Gwen answered.

"Ah, yes. I remember." Morgana stated.

"Good, or I would have to take you to Giaus for memory loss." Gwen teased.

"Oh, haha, Gwen." She said sarcastically. "Very funny."

There was a comfortable silence, each enjoying the company of the other, until Gwen spoke, "You will be late if you don't leave now."

"Okay. Please, escort me." Morgana said.

"Of course, my lady." Gwen replied.

Morgana shot her a look, and they both left for the throne room.

_Break_

Arthur stood tall as his manservant examined him, making sure nothing was wrong. His manservant was a small man, with a scar on is left cheek. His name was Cedric, and he was a bully. Of course, nobody had proof, but we heard complaints that he thinks he's better than everyone else, and beats the other servants when he can. And he was sucked-up at Arthur _all _the time. He would get him huge feasts for every meal (Of which, he hardly eats.). He would also suck-up to the king, by always promising 'Arthur will not get in trouble', or a 'I will make sure he does as he is told'. Arthur hated the man. He was almost caught stealing from Arthur's own personal stash of gold!

That being besides the point, he was thinking of is new 'brother.' He liked the man, from what he had learned about him. He grew up a peasant, so he knows humility, and he _seemed _to be likable_._ But he didn't know much about him. What was his name? Uh, Meril? No, Menil? No... Merlin, that's it! He can't go around not remembering his brother's name.

Oh well, he had a new brother, now onto more pressing matters, he had to get ready for the feast. Ignoring Cedric, Arthur put on his jacket. Cedric tried telling him something, but he ignored him and walked toward the throne room, his thoughts consisting of his brother.

_Break_

Merlin looked around the throne room, realizing he is early. There were 4 thrones facing the door. There was a small, long table stretching from the end of the thrones. The last he remembered, there were only three thrones. _Of course, they must have added another one for me_. In between the thrones and the door, was a huge, long table. Half of the seats were already taken, and he could see some of the nobles were pointing to the throne and muttering to themselves. _So, they don't know_. As William guided him to his throne, he noticed that the only other person up there was Morgana, Gwen was standing next to her, pouring a glass of water.

William stopped at the throne at the far left. Merlin assumed that throne was his and sat down in it. Morgana and Gwen glanced over at me. William stood a couple feet away from my throne. Gwen also retreated.

"Good evening, Morgana." Merlin nervously greeted.

Morgana gave him a warm smile. "Good evening." She replied.

"How long do these feasts usually take?" Merlin questioned.

Morgana replied, "Believe it or not, usually about two hours."

Merlin choked on the water he was drinking. "What!?" He exclaimed in disbelief.

Morgana rolled her eyes. "It only takes twenty minutes to eat, but these nobles need a _long _time to eat." Morgana leaned closer and covered her mouth. "Why do you think they're so fat?" She whispered. It took all of his willpower not to burst out laughing.

They lapsed into comfortable silence, each looking at the crowd in front of them. More nobles were coming now, and the room was almost full.

Morgana sighed. "Those two better not be late again." She said, exasperation in her voice. He assumed she meant Uther and Arthur.

"What happens if their late?" Merlin questioned.

"Well, I would have to initiate the feast." At Merlin's questioning look, she said, "I need to give some long, boring speech about why we are all here."

"Oh," He said. "That would be me."

"Yes, it would be." She replied.

A man sat down in between Merlin and Morgana. It was Arthur.

"Arthur." Morgana greeted.

"Hey, Morgana." Arthur said.

"Hello, Arthur." Merlin said, nervously.

Arthur whirled around, noticing him for the first time. He said, "Merlin! I didn't see you there!" He paused. "How's it going?" He said smoothly. "How do you like being a prince?"

_Well he's talkative_. "So far, it's good. But I've only a prince for a day." He answered.

Arthur nodded. He paused. "I'm sure the food is better than at Ealdor, though." He said with a smile.

Merlin smiled too. "Yeah," He said. "Definitely."

"Well, boys, glad too see you're all cooperating." Another voice said. They looked up. It was Uther.

He sat down on his thrown, the biggest throne. His servant served him some wine. Uther took a sip of the wine, making a delighted sound when he was finished.  
Uther stood up and gestured to everybody to do the same. Then he addressed the nobles, "Ladies and gentlemen, people of Camelot," He began. "You are all gathered here this night to hear wonderful news. There is a new prince of Camelot!" The crowd hesitantly began to clap. "Now, I want you all to greet him as your prince, friend, brother, and advisor. He is the son of one of my greatest friends and ally in the Great Purge, slaying many of the creatures that threatened our lands. His father has gone. Whether he was killed, or taken, we do not know. But, we do know that he has left us a blessing." He paused. "His son!" The crowd now applauded enthusiastically. "Already he has saved us from great mourning by saving the life of Prince Arthur, my son, on his first day in Camelot." The crowd applauded more. "To celebrate this day, we feast! Let the feast, begin!" Now the crowd of nobles applauded more than before. _Morgana was right, these nobles sure do love their food_. Anyway, Uther said dig in, so he may as well eat. But just to be sure, he checked to see if Arthur was also eating. He was, so it was safe to assume he could eat.

Merlin's mouth filled with saliva as he looked at all the food that was on their table. There were chicken legs, and turkey, potatoes, corn, steak, and some pasta. Their was so much, Merlin took one serving of each dish. As he was eating, William came up to him and refilled his drink. Merlin had never eaten so much in his life. Somehow, though, he managed to finish it all in ten minutes. _Less than two more hours to go. Great_. He thought to himself as he wiped his hands off with a napkin. _This is going to take awhile_.

_Break_

After a few, awkward, conversations with his family, smiling and shaking hands with a bunch of nobles who greeted him, and entertainment from the court jester, two hours had finally passed. He had walked to his room, William leading the way. When he got in his room, he dismissed William. He searched in his wardrobe for comfortable sleeping clothes and put them on. He went over too his bed and crawled inside.

Earlier, with Gwen, he discovered the one place that no servant every cleans in a room: under the bed. So, very sneakily so Gwen wouldn't notice, he placed his magic book Giaus gave him under the bed. But for good measure, he opened his bed up from under the bed and placed the book in it, sealing the bed back up afterwards. Now he retrieved that book and started reading.

_Remember, when practicing magic for the first time, keep a calm mind..._

**Sorry I'm a bit late with the chapter, I didn't have a lot of time today to write. Anyways, I hope I did this chapter justice, and the Great Dragon _will _appear in the next chapter, there will also be more magic talk and stuff. **

**I'm sorry for any grammatical/spelling mistakes, my computer is trash, so sometimes the keys aren't pushed hard enough, or sometimes it presses it twice, or I just make the mistake myself.**

**Guys, thank you _so _much for reading and to you guys who review. I love you guys, seriously. You guys make me smile, you guys are the reason I get out of bed in the morning. I encourage _all_ of you guys to review more. PLEASE give me ideas for upcoming chapters. I think one more chapter of Merlin settling in, and then a couple chapters with some plot. I _might _be able to get a chapter for you guys out by tomorrow, but I'm might go on a car trip to Wisconsin for the day. If I do, I won't be able to get a chapter out for you guys.**

**Again, thanks for reading and please review.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey, it's SERIOSYNICK here bringing you chapter 7 of Life as a Royal! *applause* Anyways, the Great Dragon (Kilgarrah) appears in this chapter, and you might see a bit of magic. Nothing too plot-y, though. That will be next chapter. Please, PLEASE review, it takes two seconds, and it makes me so happy. It'll also make me write faster. I thank you people who _do _review, I encourage you to continue to support my story. Give me ideas, constructive is encouraged. I feel like I'm completely ruining the story, so please give me your input. **

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin**

_Merlin..._

Merlin twisted in his bed uncomfortably.

_Merlin..._

Merlin muttered something incoherent.

_MERLIN!_

Merlin bolted straight out of his bed, his chest heaving. _What was that? _He asked himself. He must be hearing things. Or maybe it was a dream.

_MERLIN! _The voice screamed.

Merlin covered his ears. The voice, _gosh_, the _voice_, the voice was _so _loud. It rang through his head, echoing in his brain. It felt like his head would rip open.

_MERLIN! _The voice screamed, _again_.

Merlin groggily asked, "Who are you? _Where _are you?"

The voice didn't answer. In a few minutes though, it said, _Merlin..._ Merlin realized the voice was speaking telepathically, through magic. That probably meant it wasn't close by, but wants to see me.

_Merlin..._ It impatiently said into his mind.

"Yea, I'm coming." He grumbled to himself, even though the voice couldn't hear him. Merlin groggily got out of bed. He walked out the door, not even caring he was still in his night-clothes, and followed the corridor. He didn't even know where he was going, and he really didn't care. This voice woke him up, it'll have to wait a bit.

_Merlin..._ It whispered. This time, though, he could hear it from _somewhere_, not just his mind. He decided to follow it.

Merlin heard the whisper a few more times, each time a bit louder as he go closer, he figured, to the cause of the voice.

He finally stopped as he heard voices. He silently walked toward the voices, peering around a wall to get a better look. Two people. Or, more correctly, two knights, guarding a hallway, where, he could sense the voice came from.

What could he do? He could say 'Move it, I'm your prince,' but I don't think that would work. The only other way he could think of was to sneak around them.

Merlin scanned the room, and noticed another hallway on the opposite side of the hallway where the voice came from. He spotted a stack of barrels by the other hallway, a plan forming in his mind.

He went over every bit of his plan, twice. Everything would work and he could get to that voice so he could _finally _get some _sleep_.

He looked at the barrel on the top, and, with a pull on his gut, his eyes turned molten gold. He used magic to make the barrel drop on the floor, startlingly loud in the silence. The guards jumped, the sound scared them. Merlin then used his magic to move the barrel down the other hallway. His plan worked. The guards got up and chased after the barrel, leaving the hallway Merlin wanted unguarded.

Merlin quietly walked toward the hallway. _The guards could be back any moment_, Merlin thought. He noticed a set of keys on the table the guards were sitting by. He took those, assuming he'd need them. He walked down the hallway, toward the voice, so he could _finally _get some sleep.

He came to a stop at a large, foreboding gate that just _screamed _'scary monster in here, do not enter', but Merlin ignored it. He searched his set of keys, looking for a key that was the correct size for the lock. Realizing he couldn't figure it out by looking at it, he started trying random keys. He eventually got the lock to open after _several _tries. He walked down the foreboding corridor down into a huge cavern.

_What is this? _Merlin asked himself. "H-hello?" He tentatively said. "Where are you?"

A sound filled his hearing, but it didn't come from his mind, it came from across the cavern. And it was getting closer. A dark shadow filled his vision, and a he looked up, disbelieving. It was a _dragon! _This must be the dragon that Uther said he imprisoned. How can he capture such free creature? His opinion of his father was sinking.

The dragon, _massive _beast, landed on a rock not far from Merlin, facing him. The two had a staring contest, each one looking in the other's eyes. Merlin say curiosity, wisdom, and a great sadness in his eyes. I probably would to, if I had watched the rest of my kind slaughtered mercilessly, and then imprisoned for twenty years. Merlin didn't know what the dragon saw, but what ever it was, it made it chuckle. Wait, _chuckle? _Since when do beasts, _animals_, _chuckle_?

"Hello, young warlock." The dragon spoke with a wise voice, like it had seen all. In many ways, it did.

"Y-you can speak?" Merlin asked, shocked.

The dragon chuckled again. "Yes, warlock. And I know who you are." At Merlin's questioning look, the dragon smiled. "You are Merlin, the farm-boy from the village Ealdor, and now prince. You are also the most powerful sorcerer that has lived, is living, and ever will live, and the one who will bring about the unification of Albion."

Merlin was shocked. "How do you know who I am?!" He demanded.

Again, the dragon chuckled. Doesn't it get tired of laughing? I guess not, there must not be a lot to laugh about down here. "I could sense it." It said.

"And what about that bit with Albion? What's that?" Merlin asked.

"You are the warlock spoken about in the ancient prophecies, the one destined to unite Albion and bring magic back to the kingdom." It answered.

"That's impossible, Uther has banned magic. So has most most of Albion. Magic is gone!" Merlin shouted.

The dragon said, "There is still hope. It is your destiny to protect Arthur make him the once-and-future king that will bring about peace to Albion."

"I thought you said _I _would do that!" Merlin accused.

"You are key. You will save his life many times, in fact, you already have." It said."You will be a friend to him, counsel him, and because of you, magic will return."

Merlin felt a weight on his shoulder. This was a lot to take in at one time, and he was still half-asleep. "Was it really necessary to wake me up in the middle of the night, just to tell me that?" He asked, exasperated.

"Yes... It is vital you know this, and remember, you _must _protect Arthur at all costs." It said, then it flapped it's wings and flew away.

"Wait! Why Arthur!? What do you mean!?" He called after him, but the dragon was gone. Muttering stuff about cynical dragons and sleep, he went back up to his room.

_Break_

After his untimely conversation with the dragon, Merlin couldn't go back to sleep. So he tried practicing magic.

Merlin found a jug of water and a crystal cup, filled the cup with water, and sat down. He focused, and called is magic. He felt a tug in his gut, and his eyes turned molten with gold. Slowly, the water rose from the cup, still in the form the the cup. He raised it slightly more, than stopped it in mid-air. He made it change form, from the cup, into a sphere. Then a square. Next he made abstract shapes. It was getting easier to change the shape every time, because he was getting used to it. Now he slowly lowered the water into the cup.

He read the book, looking for something else to do. It wasn't a book full of spells, but it had tips to control magic, and he desperately needed it. He read that if your magic reacts instinctively, try to not use magic in those instances. For example, if someone drops a glass cup, his magic would automatically catch it. In some ways, thats good. In others, it was very bad.

He practiced getting rid of the instinct by 'accidentally' dropping things, and keep his magic back. It wouldn't help though, because he knew it would happen, it would have to be a surprise. He decided to try make things float again. He would lift pieces of furniture with his mind. This calmed him, and he settled for calmly meditating for awhile. He read, in the book, that this also helped control magic. Thinking he practiced enough, he began to read a book titled, 'Rules and Laws of Camelot' by Geoffry of Monmouth. Joy.

_Break_

"Merlin?" Gwen called from behind the door. "Are you awake?"

Merlin put away the book he was reading and opened the door. Gwen smiled to him kindly and walked in his room, bringing with a tray filled with flowers. Merlin raised his eyebrow at the flowers, but Gwen just chuckled softly. Merlin looked at the flowers more. They were all beautiful flowers, most of them were in brightly adorned vases. There were about 15 of them. What is this?

"Um, Gwen? What are these?" Merlin asked, astounded.

Gwen rolled her eyes. "Those are flowers, Merlin." She said in a teasing, condescending voice.

"Obviously, but what are they doing here?" Merlin asked.

Gwen said, "Well, the maidens of the court took _very _kindly to you, and sent you these as a token you would remember them."

Merlin blushed. "W-what?! N-no, t-that can't be true!"

Gwen chuckled softly. "They say you are the most handsome man to step foot in the walls of Camelot." Merlin blushed more. "There has already has been a rift between the ladies, each one fighting one-another for your hand in marriage."  
Merlin's face was now the perfect example of a tomato. "W-wha-what? I'm not handsome! I'm just... me!"

"Well, apparently, that is enough. I wouldn't waste the flowers though. Should I distribute them among the poor?" She asked, knowing enough about Merlin that he wouldn't want all of the flowers, nor could his room fit them all.

"Y-yea, that would be kind. Leave out the part where they came from, though." He paused. "Give one to Lady Morgana, in hopes that she accepts me as her friend and brother."

Gwen smiled at him. "I'll do that." Pause. "I forgot to tell you, but she sends her regards. And Arthur also told me to tell you 'welcome to the family'. You won't get much else from him, I'm afraid."

Merlin smiled at her. "Tell them thank-you, and that I am pleased to know them."

She nodded at him. "I will, Merlin." And she left.

Merlin sighed. He already missed her. It was so terribly _boring _being a prince, he had no one to talk too. He decided he needed to talk to someone. _Giaus_.

_Break_

Merlin paused at Giaus' door. He briefly wondered if coming had been a good idea, considering his ulterior motive. He knocked anyways. "Giaus?" Merlin called out.

He heard grumbling on the other side of the wall. "Merlin?" Giaus asked as he opened the door. "Merlin!" He greeted.

"Giaus!" Merlin said, and they embraced each other.

"Merlin, not that I don't want you here, but what are you doing here?" Giaus asked.

Merlin shrugged. "I had nothing else to do."

Giaus nodded. "I bet. After all, you're the new prince." He said sarcastically.

Merlin shrugged.

"Oh well. I assume you want something." Giaus guessed.

Merlin nodded. "Could I have a spell book?"

**Gah! I know, terrible ending, but I couldn't think of how else to do it.**

**Now, if you're thinking Merlin and Morgana have already developed feelings for each other, they haven't. They are just being kind to each other. The reason Merlin didn't send flowers to Arthur was, well, guys don't just send flowers to guys. That's just weird. Merlin and Morgana have NOT developed feelings for each other, but they will eventually. Might not be for awhile though.**

**I may not get a chapter out for you guys tomorrow because I have school (Ugh) and most of my day will be occupied. Lets hope I can still get it out for you, though.**

**Thank you for reading, please review, it makes my day. Again, thanks to you completely awesome people who do review, you support makes my day. **

**Anything else I need to say? No? Well, I guess see you guys Tuesday.**


	8. Chapter 8

**SERIOSLYNICK here bringing you chapter 8? Is it really chapter 8? huh. This chapter prepares you for the chapter mimicking Valiant. The next chapter will definitely have some swordplay, so get ready for that. I'll get some Merlin and Arthur time, seeing as those two have an underdeveloped friendship. Uther and Merlin bonding time as well. I'm sorry for grammatical mistakes.**

**I encourage you to check out my new one-shot, 'What would happen?' and give it a chance. It's short, but I think you'll like it.**

**I also ask you review, because I may discontinue it if hardly anybody reviews. The way I see it, my story stinks and only five people like it. But to you guys who are reviewing, you guys are making me get on with this story, you guys are the reason this chapter is out.**

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.**

Merlin

There was a knock on the door. It was swift and strong. The person who knocked must be strong, and either impatient, or in a hurry. Probably a knight.

As Merlin opened the door, he discovered that it was, indeed, a knight. He opened the door revealing Prince Arthur.

"Arthur, what do I owe this surprise?" Merlin asked, somewhat teasingly. Him and Arthur had bonded, somewhat. After Arthur had awkwardly invited Merlin to go hunting with him, Arthur made it a habit that Merlin comes with him every time they go hunting. Apparently, whenever Merlin came with, more animals came by. Merlin blamed his magic. Not that he did it purposely! The animals were drawn to his magic.

"Not the time, Merlin!" Arthur said, annoyed. "I am to train you with the sword before the tournament! Already knights from foreign lands have flooded are streets."

"That's ridiculous, Arthur. I can't hope to learn the sword properly in my life time, let alone a day! Not that I would be fighting at all." He complained.

Arthur sighed. "Father is worried that you can't properly defend yourself." He explained. Merlin rolled his eyes. Oh, he could defend himself _very _easily. "Father worries that some kingdoms might use the tournament as an excuse for their knights to get close to you, eventually killing you. Father wants you to defend yourself."

Merlin sighed. "Very well." He said. "Take me away."

Arthur took this literally and picked him up and, placing Merlin's head in his armpit, and dragged Merlin out of his room and through the halls like this. When Merlin began struggling and coughing (Due to the fact that Arthur stinks), Arthur started giving him a nuggie.

They were like this all the way until they reached a private room. It was large and spacious, with no furniture to get in the way. The only thing in the room, other than the two princes, was a rack of swords.

Arthur let go of him. "You ready, Merlin?" Arthur asked, a tone in his voice suggesting a challenge.

Merlin wouldn't back down. He sprinted toward the rack and grabbed a sword. It was a fairly long sword, and it felt well-balanced in his hand. Arthur came over, and, after scanning the rack, grabbed his favorite sword. They walked over to the middle of the room, swords in hands, and turned, facing each other.

"Shouldn't we have armor?" Merlin asked, somewhat nervous.

Arthur looked thoughtful for a moment, then a look of dismissal came over him. "Naw!" He said. "I'm sure we won't need it." Merlin looked doubtful. "Oh, come on, _Mer_lin, don't be such a _girl_." Merlin rolled his eyes at the complaint. "Come on, we'll start with blocking..."

_Break_

The two boys trudged their way to Giaus' chambers. The reason: Arthur underestimated Merlin. Arthur had purposely left his guard open by his right side, but Merlin thought that if he attacked, Arthur would block. So Merlin slashed with all his might, and now Arthur is bleeding profusely.

"Come on, Arthur. Don't die out on me now!? Do not make me crown prince of Camelot!" Merlin begged.

Arthur grunted, weakly. "Oh, that's a future I do _not _want to think about." Arthur replied.

Merlin rolled his eyes, despite the gravity of the situation. "Then don't die out on me." Merlin said.

Arthur said, "Yes, sir!" As if taking a command.

Merlin groaned. They were almost there! Truthfully, Merlin knew Arthur was in no danger, but he felt like teasing him. He kicked Giaus' door open, and pushed Arthur onto one of the empty tables. Giaus burst from the spare room, looking very shocked. Giaus assessed the situation quickly. He saw Arthur, and blood. He ran over to them and took off Merlin's make-shift bandage. He saw that the cut wasn't long nor deep, and let out a sigh of relief. Giaus grabbed a bandage from a drawer and tightly wound it around the wound.

"What did you to do?!" Giaus demanded, but he didn't sound angry, more like tired.

"We were practicing sword fighting, and Arthur isn't as good as he'd like to brag." Merlin explained.

Arthur rolled his eyes. "No," He corrected. "I was going easy on you."

"Whatever the reason, you _both _were careless." Giaus said, irritated. Merlin didn't know what to say to that.

Worry suddenly entered Merlin's mind, and he asked, "Will this stop Arthur from entering the tournament?!" Arthur sat straight up, hopeful eyes staring up at Giaus.

Giaus shook his head. "No, Merlin. Fortunately, you are _not _a very good swordsman."

Arthur grinned, extremely relieved. "Thank the gods!" Arthur shouted. He turned to me and said, "You better be thankful too."

Merlin looked at him. "I couldn't care less if you didn't participate, why should _I _be thankful?" He asked.

"Because, _Mer_lin," Arthur began. "If I couldn't participate, you would _sorely _regret it." He threatened.

"Arthur," Merlin replied. "I sincerely doubt you could threaten me. I'm not scared of you." He said matter-of-factly.

"Is that a challenge?" Arthur asked, innocently.

Merlin shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not." He answered. Merlin really wasn't worried about anything Arthur could challenge him too.

Arthur grinned, devilishly. "Very well, then." Arthur said. "Participate in the tournament."

Time stopped for Merlin. "Do you _want _me to be killed!" Merlin shouted.

"It wouldn't _bother _me." Arthur solemnly stated.

Merlin huffed. "No!" Merlin said, forcefully.

"A challenge is a challenge, young Merlin." Arthur said, condescendingly.

Giaus spoke up. "Arthur, regardless, only knights can enter, Merlin is not a knight." Merlin and Arthur were startled by Giaus, both had forgotten about him.

Merlin recovered. He shot Giaus a grateful smile. Arthur, however, glared daggers at him.

"Fine!" Arthur huffed. "I dare you to ask the Lady Morgana out. Invite her to dinner at your place, or something."

Merlin blushed crimson red. "Arthur!" Merlin complained. "I can't do that!"

"Why not? Are you too cowardly?" Arthur innocently asked.

Merlin flushed. "N-no! It's just that, um, i-it's weird, I mean, were brother and sister!" Merlin protested.

"Ah-ah-ah! Not true. You two are, in no way, related." Arthur corrected.

"In all but blood." Merlin grumbled. Merlin moved to leave through the door, but Arthur called out to him,

"Good luck with Morgana! Try not to get rejected!"

Merlin grumbled and walked out the door.

_Break_

Merlin knocked nervously on Morgana's door. _How could I let Arthur dare me to do this?! _Merlin hoped Gwen was there, it would make it less awkward.

"Hello?" Morgana's voice called out tentatively. She opened the door.

Merlin sighed. No Gwen then. "H-hey, Morgana, how's it going?" He asked nervously.

"Merlin! What are you doing here?" She asked nicely.

"A-uh-um, c-can y-I come in?" Merlin spluttered.

Morgana had an amused, yet kind of a curious look on her face. "That's improper grammar, Merlin. You should know better!" She chided.

"Y-yeah, I'm sorry, i-it's been a bad day." He said.

Morgana gestured to her bed. "Sit." She commanded. When he complied, she said, "Explain."

Merlin swallowed nervously, making up some sad story about today. After deciding on one, Merlin explained, "Y-you see, I couldn't fall asleep last night, until late in the night. I had bad dreams, most of which made me wake up. And I woke up early in the morning because a servant was knocking on my door. I asked him why he was knocking on my door at the crack of dawn, and he said it was the wrong door, and he apologized. I couldn't go back to sleep after that. Later, Arthur forced me to practice swordsmanship, and now I'm all bruised." Of course, Merlin made most of this up, but Morgana didn't know.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Merlin. That is just awful. And it's hardly even noon." Morgana sympathized. Merlin nodded, solemnly. "So, _Mer_lin," She continued. "Do you want to tell me the _real _reason you're here?" She asked.

Crap. She saw right threw his lie. Now what? "Y-you see, um, did you know Arthur is stupid?"  
Morgana rolled her eyes. "I don't think we're here to gossip about Arthur, _Mer_lin."

Merlin began, "Y-y-you are very right. Yes. Um, uh...-"

Morgana cut him off. "Arthur dared you to invite me to dinner, right?"

Merlin swallowed, and nodded. "How did you know?" Merlin asked.

Morgana rolled her eyes. "I know Arthur better than anyone," Morgana explained. "I could tell from your body language, and this is something Arthur would do."

Merlin sighed, relieved. "So now what?"

Morgana smirked. "I do not believe our _dear _brother stated who else can come." Catching her drift, Merlin grinned.

_Break_

A knock interrupted his musing. "Merlin?" A voice called, probably the owner of the knock.

Merlin turned his head to look at the door. The voice he heard was that of his father's, Uther. "Come in." Merlin said. What could his father want?

Uther opened the door and stepped inside. He glanced around, checking to see if anyone else is here. Merlin didn't know if it was just him, but Uther looked a bit awkward, maybe even embarrassed.

"I here that you nearly killed Arthur, Merlin. Is that true?" Uther asked.

Merlin shrugged. "Yeah, but it wasn't that bad. I knew he was going to live."Merlin explained.

Uther smiled. "I'm glad. This means you _should _be able to hold your own against an enemy, at least for a little while."

Merlin didn't know what to say to that, so he just sat there quietly. After Merlin grew tired of the silence, he asked, "Who is my father, anyways?"

Uther stiffened. "He was a great friend and ally in the Great Purge, he saved my life _several _times." He said.

Merlin inwardly cursed. Whenever Merlin asked Uther that question, Uther avoided the answer. Just like he did now. Merlin was just _so sick _of it.

"I know that." Merlin said bitterly. "That's _all _I know about him." Merlin considered getting up and leaving him right then and there, but he didn't.

Uther just sat there, on the corner of his bed, in silence. It was almost deafening, so complete. Truthfully, the silence was driving Merlin mad.

"I heard from Arthur," Uther began. _Uh, anything he hears from Arthur can_not _be good. Nor truthful. _"That you have taken in _interest _in Morgana."

Merlin blushed at the awkwardness. How could he explain that Arthur dared him too. He thought of an idea. "Y-yeah? I mean- we're just friends." He stuttered.

"And that's why you are inviting her to dinner, just the two of you, under the candle light?" Uther asked skeptically, raising his eyebrow.

"N-no! Y-you see, it's just as friends! And we are not going to be alone!" Merlin defended. "Gwen will be there, and no candle light!"

Uther chuckled softly. "It's alright, my boy. I approve." He said, while standing up. "I completely approve of your relationship with Morgana." He smiled, and left through the door.

Merlin stared at the door Uther just left through, horrified. How could Arthur had done this. Why!? What had he done? Now Uther will see romance between them at all times. _This is embarrassing._

_Break_

Another knock on his door. He was getting tired of people knocking on his door today, but this time, he was expecting it. He got up and opened the door, confirming who he thought it was. Morgana.

"Merlin." Morgana greeted.

"Morgana." Merlin replied. Merlin peered around the door and saw Gwen. _Good, she came. _If Gwen wouldn't come, this would be quite awkward. "Gwen." Merlin greeted.

"Merlin." Gwen greeted back.

"Merlin, can we get on with dinner?" Morgana impatiently asked.

"Yes!" Merlin agreed. He led them to the middle of his room where he had William prepare a small table for three. A little ways away, there was a chart of food.

"It is nicely set up, Merlin." Gwen complimented. She raised an eyebrow. "Did you do it yourself?" She asked, skeptically.

Merlin scratched the back of his head with his hand, embarrassed. "E-eh, no, not really."

Morgana smiled. "Thanks for dinner, Merlin. I don't think I could stand a dinner with Uther." She said while sitting down.

Merlin creased his eyebrow. "What's wrong?" He asked, concerned. Gwen sat down.

Morgana crossed her arms. "He is thoroughly convinced someone will try to hurt me during the tournament, so has decreed that I can not leave my room without an armed escort of six knights." She complained.

Gwen nodded. "Only I can enter her room." She added.

Merlin nodded his head sympathetically. "Uther thinks I need to study swordsmanship."

"Yeah, well at least that is something worthwhile to learn, he is just locking me away in my room." She said, bitterly. Merlin felt bad for her, maybe he could do something to help.

Nobody spoke. After a minute, Merlin said, "Well, I'm hungry, so let's say 'dig in!'"

Morgana made a sound of agreement, and Gwen got up. I glanced over at Morgana, she was still sitting. Gwen went to the tray to get food, presumably for Morgana and herself. Merlin went with her to get himself some food.

"No, no, my lord." Gwen said, bowing her head a bit. "I shall get you your meal."

Merlin shook his head. "No, it's alright, I can get it myself." Merlin said. Gwen smiled at him, and retreated, carrying Morgana's food. Merlin, after getting his own food, sat down. Gwen came back to the tray to get her own food. Merlin waited for Gwen to get her food, but Morgana began to silently eat her meal. Merlin looked at his own food. Some turkey breast, steak, and some assortment of salad. After Gwen sat down, he began to eat. They ate quietly, until Morgana spoke up.

She began, "So... Merlin, father has some _idea _that we are romantically, for lack of better word, engaged."

Merlin choked, and blushed. This might be a bit awkward.

_Break_

Morgana and Merlin were laughing. Hard. They couldn't stop. At all. They couldn't even remember why they were laughing, but it had something to do with Arthur. But whatever the reason, they couldn't, for the life of them, remember. Maybe that's why they were laughing.

Merlin finally stopped laughing, but now his sides were aching. And a permanent smile was etched on his face. Morgana stopped laughing soon after him, but she still was smiling.

"Well, we best get going, the armed guards are coming to get us soon, we must be off." Gwen announced, ruining the silence.

Merlin nodded and stood up. "Of course." He agreed.

Morgana got up as well, brushing her dress while she did it. "Thank you for the dinner, Merlin. We-" She gestured at Gwen and herself, "-enjoyed it."

"Yes." Gwen agreed.

Morgana and Gwen moved toward the door. "Good night, Merlin." Morgana said.

"Good night, Morgana." Merlin called after her.

They left his room, and Merlin sank into his bed. He enjoyed there company, it was fun. And it was a plus side that he showed Arthur that he _isn't _afraid of him. All in all, it was a _great _day.

**Really _long _chapter, sorry. I didn't mean for Merlin and Morgana to already develop feelings for each other, if that's what you thought. I merely meant they are very good friends now, and they _may _have developed an inkling of a shadow of a crush on each other. **

**I didn't mean to have Arthur and Merlin's friendship so far developed, that was an accident. If you want, I could do a short mini-series depicting Merlin's first hunt with Arthur, and how they bonded.**

**I got this chapter out to you guys during class, I'm just sorry I couldn't get it out for you yesterday.**

**Read and review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**SERIOSLYNICK here, with chapter 9! Woo! Now I will try to mirror 'Valiant' as much as possible, without it going against the plot of my story.**

**Sorry for not updating in a long time. I had this really big project in German, and I got sick. It sucks.**

**Thanks to you reviewers for your support, it really makes my day. I especially thank reviewer jo, for pointing out that I was spelling Gaius' name wrong. I also say to reviewer Tawney: I know it's awkward, and I apologize. It is because my inadequacy as a writer. This _is _my first story, I've made only three other one-shots. So I apologize. I shall do my best to make it less awkward. **

**To everyone else who reviewed, you guys are just awesome, just completely awesome. Tell me if I'm doing something wrong, or if you've got some great ideas you'd like to give me. Do you guys like my little break episodes that have nothing to do with plot, or action? I might try to minimize those. I also do _not _want to just make my own versions of the already-fabulous Merlin episodes, I'll have my own little bad guy and plot.**

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.**

Merlin

The warrior strolled through the corridor, his boots thudding on the cold, concrete floor. But that noise was not the only noise that could be heard. There were hissing sounds, animal roars, and the cries of men could be heard.

The warrior was not alone, either. He glanced around him. There were people in dark robes, mixing together some potions. Some were whispering to themselves quietly. Others were on the ground, arms around there knees, curled in balls.

The warrior was anxious to get out of here. He knew that some of these people could end his life with a muttered word and a glance. But, he knew none of these people will kill him. They wouldn't bother him if he doesn't bother them. Still, it was unsettling. He himself couldn't use magic. He was defenseless, and he hated it. The sooner he got out of here, the better.

He strolled down the corridor, purpose in mind. He ordered a certain _something _from someone in here. That _something _would help with a very _personal _quest of his.

He reached the end of the corridor, and stopped at one of the stalls. A man came out from the corner. He was bald, and short, a certain maliciousness seemed to seep from him.

"Are you here for the _item_?" He asked. His voice sounded sleazy.

"Yes." The warrior said, his answer short and straight to the point, implying he would not tolerate beating around the bush.

The bald man nodded, slowly. "And I shall receive a- let's say- _suitable _reward?" He asked.

The warrior nodded. Truthfully, he had no intention of giving him a reward. Or at least a reward he would like.

"Good." The sleazy man said. He went behind a curtain, and came out holding a shield. It was yellow, with green snaked imprinted on it in a ringed pattern. The man put the shield in a defensive position and whispered some words that the warrior could not understand, and all three of the snakes came to life.

The warrior instinctively leaned back, defensively, his arms ready to fight the snakes.

The bald man didn't seem to notice the warrior's reaction. "They will do anything you tell them too." He said while handing it to the warrior. "They have a poison that will paralyze any foe." The man informed him.

The warrior took the shield with great care, careful not to let any of the snakes bite him. He lifted it up into a defensive position and whispered, "Anything?"

"Oh yes! They will do _anything _you tell them too!" The man exclaimed excitedly.

The warrior turned toward the man, a smirk on his face. "Kill him." He ordered the snakes.

The man's face was filled with confusion and fear. The warrior liked the feeling of power when watching someone cower beneath him. The snakes lunged forward, sinking their jaws into his flesh. The man's screams could be heard throughout the hideout; however, no one came to help him.

The man smiled maliciously when the snakes came back to the shield, clumps of flesh hanging out of their mouths. Now was the time to finish his long quest. Now was the time to kill Uther Pendragon!

_Break_

"Are you ready?" Arthur asked.

Merlin struggled with the armor. "Would it make any difference if I said no?" Merlin asked.

Arthur shrugged and lifted his sword. "Not really." He replied.

Merlin lifted his sword and got in a ready position. Arthur charged at Merlin and Merlin deflected the first blow. "Shield!" Arthur yelled as he struck his shield. "Body!" A slash toward his body that Merlin just barely deflected. "Shield!" Arthur called. "Body!" Arthur yelled again. Merlin deflected his blows. "Head!" Arthur yelled.

"Head?" Merlin stupidly asked before getting hit in the head by Arthur's sword. Thankfully Merlin had a helmet on. The force of the blow knocked Merlin off his feet and onto the ground.

"Come on, _Mer_lin! I need to make sure you can defend yourself and, more importantly, prepare _myself _for the tournament!" Arthur impatiently said.

Merlin got up slowly. "Can we take a break?" Merlin asked.

Arthur replied with a short 'no' and slashed. Shouts of "Body!", "Shield!", and "Head!" could be heard throughout the training ground.

After another round of fighting between the two brothers, Arthur knocked Merlin back onto the ground. "Are we done yet?" Merlin wearily asked.

Arthur, in reply, reached back and grabbed a mace. "How's your mace work coming along?" He asked wickedly.

_Break_

Merlin trudged into Gaius' room as stiff as a board. Gaius was standing there, watching him. "How was you're training session with Arthur?" Gaius asked, amused.

In reply, Merlin said, "Do you here clanging?"

Gaius chuckled. "Here, sit down." Gaius said.

Merlin sat down and bent his head over. Gaius began giving him a shoulder rub. "It was _horrible_!" Merlin complained. "And, for some reason, father wants me to learn all the rules and etiquettes by tomorrow!" Gaius said nothing in return. Merlin looked at the book of rules about the tournament and softly said, "_Tcoundla le Mor!_" And the book slid toward him and opened up to the beginning page.

"Oui!" Gaius yelled and slapped his head. "What do you think you're doing? What do you think would happen if you got caught using your magic?!"

Merlin answered, "If I could actually _feel _my arms I would pick it up myself!"

Gaius shook his head softly and continued to massage Merlin's back. "What would happen if father discovered I had magic?" He asked.

Gaius slowly began, "He would kill you, that's what."

Merlin nodded his head sadly.

"Well you just make sure you keep your secret, a secret." Gaius said.

_Break_

The market bustled with people scurrying from one place to another. The shouts of merchants trying to attract customers filled the air.

Merlin knocked on the door. He looked over the house. It was small, made of a combination of wood and, it looked like, dirt.

Gwen answered the door. "Hello?" She called as she opened the door. When seeing it was Merlin, she gasped and bowed her head. "My lord." She greeted.

Merlin hushed her. "Shh, no one knows I'm here." Gwen looked at him for a moment, then nodded and guided him in her house.

"Merlin, what brings you here?" She asked.

Merlin suddenly found his shoes very interesting. "I-I need you to teach me how to put on armor." He fumbled.

Gwen stared at him for a long moment, than laughed. It was a crystal clear sound, startling the relative silence of the house. "Are you serious?" She asked after a moment.

Merlin blushed and nodded. Gwen chuckled softly. "Why, might I ask?" She asked.

Merlin looked at her. He said, "I thought it would be a good idea to know how to put armor on." He shrugged.

Gwen nodded. "It is a good idea." She agreed. "Okay. The chain mail goes on first..."

_Break_

Merlin sat on Uther's right, Morgana on his left. The crowd had filled the stadium's seats. The reason: the tournament. A group of knights filled the center of the arena, all standing tall and proud. Uther stood up. "Knights of the realm! It is a great honor to welcome you to the tournament at Camelot, and for the next three days, you will fight to prove your courage and strength, and, of course, to fight the current champion. My son, Arthur." The crowd cheered. "The winner will receive a reward of one thousand gold pieces." A man opened a chess facing the arena. It was filled to the brim with gold. The crowd gasped. "It is in combat when we learn of a knight's true nature. Whether he is, indeed, a true warrior, or a coward. Let the tournament begin!" The crowd cheered.

The knights all left the arena, except for two. One was Arthur, Merlin recognized.

Arthur faced his opponent, and the crowd cheered for them. They began to fight each other. The sounds of steel against steel filled the place. The crowd gasped from time to time, watching the stunning display of two skilled warriors. Eventually, Arthur disarmed his opponent. The crowd cheered for him as he walked away from the arena.

Many other knights fought, but only one seemed to catch Merlin's eye. The knight wore a yellow cape and had a yellow shield with snakes on it. He fought dirty. He's not sure if anyone else sees it, though. The knight would step on other knight's feet, or try and distract them. Merlin was worried Arthur would be in deep trouble.

He saw Arthur walk toward his servant. The servant began fiddling with Arthur's armor, tidying it up, or just flat out replacing it. When the servant had finished, Arthur walked back to the middle of the arena, where he would fight another knight.

They traded blows a bit, but it easily became clear that Arthur was the better champion. Arthur toyed around with him a bit, but finally disarmed him. The crowd cheered for him again as he walked off. Merlin looked at the board. From the way it was looking, the yellow knight would fight Arthur in the finals.

Merlin saw the crowd go wild as the yellow knight walked into the arena. Merlin saw his opponent. Merlin recognized the knight as one of the best knights. _This'll be good. _

The two knights were fighting exceptionally well. It seemed the yellow knight was losing though. Eventually, the yellow knight tackled his opponent and they wrestled on the ground a bit. The other knight, however, suddenly froze. The yellow knight took this chance to strike him. The crowd roared at the fight, very pleased with the entertainment. Gaius walked onto the arena to make sure the knight would live. Merlin knew what Gaius was probably thinking. Probably along the lines of_ why do they always have to fatally wound each other._

Whatever Gaius saw on the knight, it made him stiffen. _I'll check up on him later. _Merlin decided. Uther called it a day and everyone slowly departed. Merlin got up. He had to prepare for a feast with the remaining knights. He knew he wasn't going to like it, they would expect him to be awesome, or at least skilled with the blade. At least Morgana will be there to help him. He glanced at Morgana. She was silently talking to Gwen, probably talking about the tournament. Merlin got up and glanced at his servant, William. William began escorting him to his room, but a group of Camelot's knights surrounded him. One of them spoke.

"We are to escort you to your chambers, my lord." He said.

Merlin nodded at them. "Very well then." He said and they walked. When they reached his room, the knights stood guard at his door as he and William entered his room.

"My lord, we must discuss what you are to wear at the feast." William announced.

Merlin nodded. "Of course." Merlin agreed. "But first, I am going to take a nap. You are dismissed, William."

"Of course, sire." He said and left, leaving Merlin to his thoughts. Merlin lied down on his bed, his eyes drifting shut. His last thought before succumbing to sleep were of the yellow knight.

_Finish_

**Guys, I am **_**so**___**sorry for not updating. I had a huge German project, then I got sick. Now I have to decorate the house for Christmas. Anyways, please review, it takes a moment of your time. Check out my other stories too. I may not update for awhile, guys. I'm sorry. I am a fairly busy guy, I have a lot to do. Again, review, tell me what you think, and give me ideas of what to do.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Yo guys, it's SERIOSLYNICK here for chapter 10! I'm gonna try to wrap up 'Valiant' by next chapter, because we all know it's boring. Anyways, onto replies to reviews.**

**Islandwitch: Thanks for reviewing. I plan on using all major villains and good-guys, so I will have Nimueh. I may not do the episodes, though. I will try to make my own episodes and stories. Sorry, but I may not make a 'The Poisoned Chalice.' But, for you, I may try writing a rough draft of that episode, and if it works and is good, I'll upload it. **

**saroura92: I don't think theres a difference. In my mind, adopting someone is the same as making them their ward. Sorry if that was a bit confusing.**

**Tawny: Deutchklasse ist so so. I agree with you, I jumped into 'Valiant' with out much thought. I find it easier to write my own chapters, but some of the more important ones I will attempt to write.**

**To everyone else: Guys, thanks for reviewing. I really appreciate your support. I wake up everyday extra earlier just to see if I have any new reviews. I sneak onto my laptop during classes to see if anyone reviewed. The first thing I do when I get home is check my reviews. You guys make such an impact on my life, and you guys are the best. Thank you!**

**Aside from that, IT IS CONFIRMED: Merlin season 5 is the last season of Merlin. NOO! I think they are ending it to soon, that the ending is rushed. PROTEST! Nothing too violent, please.**

**Aside from the more depressing thoughts, here is chapter 10!**

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.**

**_START_**

Merlin

The sounds of cheering filled Merlin's ears as he entered the throne room. Why they had meals in there was beyond him. Maybe because the metal workers were too lazy to make extra thrones for the royal family. Merlin walked to his throne. Uther was sitting in his throne, looking big and proud. Morgana was in her seat, at Uther's left. Arthur was supposed to sit on Uther's right, but Arthur must have been running a bit late. Merlin's seat was on Arthur's right.

Merlin sat down in his throne, looking at the table that stretched across the thrones. Food was piled on each one.

"Merlin." Uther greeted when Merlin sat down.

"Father." Merlin replied. They lapsed into silence as they watched the court jester perform. Merlin spotted the yellow knight at the edge of the table, looking distant. Merlin heard his name was Valiant.

_It's funny. Valiant isn't a very valiant person, _Merlin thought to himself. That knight unnerved him, like there was a sense of maliciousness surrounding him. Merlin would keep in eye on him.

Uther, Merlin, and Morgana's eyes all turned toward the door as it opened. Arthur trailed in wearing his chain mail, red cape billowing behind him as he walked.

Merlin rolled his eyes. Of course Arthur would come late, with his cape billowing behind him melodramatically. He just wanted extra attention.

Arthur sat down in his seat. "Hello." Arthur greeted.

"Arthur." Uther replied. Uther stood up. All talking and laughter ceased. "Ladies, gentlemen, knights of the realm. We celebrate this time every year with a tournament that proves if a knight is, indeed, a true warrior, or a coward. I congratulate you on surviving the first day. May many years of success follow you until you die. May the feast begin!" Uther announced.

The crowd cheered. Everyone started chatting and eating, telling jokes and what not. The court jester had taken a break so there was no entertainment at the moment. Uther and Arthur were talking to each other, probably about the tournament, so Merlin silently ate.

It was maybe after ten minutes did Merlin stop eating. He spotted Valiant giving the other knights dark looks. _What is up with that guy? _Merlin asked himself. Oh well. He knew Arthur could beat him. Except he's so darn suspicious. He decided to snoop a bit.

"I take my leave, father." Merlin said. Uther grunted his assent and Merlin got up and left. William followed him as he left.

"My lord?" William asked.

"Wait for me at my room." Merlin announced before heading to the armory. He checked behind him several times to make sure no one was following him. He went in circles a few times and went through confusing paths to throw of any unwanted followers.

Finally he stopped at the armory. Merlin paused at the heavy, wooden door. Merlin tried opening it, but it was locked. Merlin stopped pulling on the door handle and racked his mind for a spell that could open it. "_Pleore._" Merlin said, but nothing happened. "_Pleore._" Merlin repeated, but with a little more power. Finally, after a moment of concentration, Merlin repeated, "_Pleore!_" The door locked clicked. Merlin opened the door and waltzed in. The room was empty. He looked around the room hurriedly. He had no excuse to be here. If he was caught, he would have some explaining to do.

Sighing in frustration, Merlin plopped down on the ground. He couldn't find Valiant's shield. _Where else could it be? His room? _That wasn't good. What reason did he have to be snooping in his chambers. He needed to see that shield.

The shield was suspicious. Something about it caught his eye, and not in a good way. It was almost like there was something magical about it.

Merlin left, and with a whispered word, he locked the door behind him. Nobody could ever tell he was in there, he left no trace of himself.

He made his way to the place he knew Valiant slept. By now, the feast could've ended. He could be in his room by now. And that was not good. He also used the same tactic of losing pursuers by going in circles and taking hidden and confusing paths. Just in case.

He reached Valiant's room. He used magic to scan the place, making sure nobody was there. "_Pleore!_" Merlin whispered fiercely and the door unlocked. Merlin entered the room and took a moment to examine the room. There wasn't much, but Merlin saw Valiant's shield hiding in plain sight. He crept up closer too it and examined it. Nothing unusual. Except blinking eyes. He was pretty sure painted snakes don't _blink_.

He heard a noise behind him. He whirled around, expecting accusing eyes of Valiant. He saw no one. He heard the sound again and realized it was foot steps. _Valiant must have come back. _Quickly, he hid behind a curtain, but heard another noise. This time it sounded like _hissing. _Merlin looked at the shield, the source of the noise. One of the snakes was hanging from the shield, second half of the body trapped in the shield. Valiant tried unlocking his door, but realized the door was open. Merlin heard a curse and the door slamming open. Valiant rushed into the room. From behind the curtain, Merlin heard another curse.

Merlin peaked through the curtains, not liking what he was seeing. Valiant was tearing up the room for the intruder, which would be him. Valiant was getting angrier by the second, and searching twice as fast. When Valiant was looking the other way, Merlin rushed through the door, quietly closing it when he passed it. _Click. _So much for _that _plan. Merlin ran as fast as he could, and he could hear footsteps behind him. Quickly, Merlin hid an alcove. He held his breath as Valiant ran by. He was sure anyone could hear his heart beating. When Valiant passed, and his footsteps receding, Merlin was sure it was safe. He stepped out of the alcove, breathing heavily. He needed to see Gaius.

_BREAK_

"He's using _magic_!" Merlin yelled.

Gaius sighed. He had just been concocting a potion for the Lady Celanda when Merlin barged in here, accusing some knight of sorcery. "Merlin, why do you think Valiant is using sorcery?" Gaius asked the boy.

Merlin said, "I sneaked into his room, and his shield- snakes were coming out of it!"

Gaius spoke softly, "So you have no proof?"

Merlin shook his head. "No."

Gaius sighed. "Merlin, even if you were right, what proof do you have? You'll need proof if you want to convince Uther that Valiant's using magic." He said wisely.

Merlin looked stumped. Suddenly, Merlin lit up and said, "Go check his neck."

Gaius was confused. "Valiant's neck? Whatever for?" He asked.

Merlin said, "No, not Valiant's. Owen's."

_Oh. _Owen was the man who fought against Valiant earlier. It was weird, he should have woken up by now. Gaius checked the knight. He took a closer look at his neck. It looked like something _bit _him. "It appears he was bitten." Gaius informed the young boy.

Merlin looked at him. "What kind of bite? Snake?" Merlin asked.

Gaius examined the wound. "Yes." Gaius said. "It appears you are right, Valiant must be using magic to cheat in the tournament."

"And there's our proof!" Merlin exclaimed.

"Not quite." Gaius said. "Other than a snake bite, we have no evidence, no witness. Someone could say that he was bit by a random snake. Some could even say that he's had that for a long time." He exclaimed. "We need to wait for him to wake."

"Well then, wake him up!" Merlin ordered.

"I can't." Gaius said. "For some reason, Owen can not wake. He should have, but he hasn't. I now assume the snakes venom has paralyzed him."

Merlin sighed in frustration. "Can't you give him an antidote?" He asked.

Gaius looked at the young boy sadly. Over time, Gaius had begun thinking the boy as his own son. He would give his life for the boy willingly. And he was so sad to disappoint the boy. He had done all he could, but it wasn't enough. "I'm sorry, Merlin. I cannot. I need the venom from the snake itself." Gaius explained.

Merlin looked crestfallen, then a look of determination came on his face. "Leave it to me!" He said and rushed out the door.

"Wait! It's too dangerous!" Gaius called out to him, but to no avail. Merlin was gone.

_BREAK_

Merlin rushed down to Valiant's room, determination on his face. Had anyone seen him, they would have jumped out of the way. Merlin came to a stop at Valiant's room. He used a quick magic spell that he'd learned to scan the room. Nobody. Nobody human, anyways.

Merlin barged in the room, quickly seeing the shield. One of the snakes was already hissing at his intrusion. Merlin cut off it's head. The snake head thudded on the floor, and Merlin picked it up. "Eww." Merlin groaned. It was slimy. Trying not to think about it, he rushed over too Gaius' rooms.

Knocking on the door loudly, Merlin was ecstatic. He was one step closer to full filling his destiny. And, Merlin felt accomplished. He is going to save a life, possibly lives, from death. Gaius opened the door.

"Don't run off so fast, you'll get in trouble. I see you got the venom." He said.

Merlin raised the snake head. "Take it!" Merlin said and all but threw it at Gaius. Gaius took it, and if he was bothered by the slime, he didn't show it. Gaius brought it to a vial and squeezed some of the venom into the vial.

"I will have the antidote finished by morning." Gaius informed him.

"We can't wait for morning! Valiant could kill good men before we can disqualify him!" Merlin exploded.

Gaius looked at him sadly and said, "I'm sorry, Merlin. The antidote will be finished by morning, and it will be evening when he wakes up- if he wakes up."

Merlin growled frustratingly and paced. He suddenly stops and raises a finger. "You mean he may not wake up at all?" He asked, voice dangerously calm. The calm always comes before the storm.

Gaius looked uncertain if he should answer. "He will most likely waken, but, the venom paralyzed him. Not just his conscience, but his body, too." He paused. "Every human has something in their body that naturally fights deceases and heals wounds. I'm afraid that that _something _was also paralyzed, meaning he can't fight the wound. It also means it may be infected. Any other old wounds or diseases may affect him. In short, he may die." Gaius explained.

Merlin slumped onto a chair. "Ugh! Why can't something go right?" He asked the heavens. They didn't answer.

Gaius slumped down to Merlin's side and patted his back. "Don't worry. He will most likely wake up." Gaius comforted.

Merlin shook his head. "Valiant could kill good people." His voice became desperate. "He could kill Arthur!"

Gaius tried comforting him again. "Arthur is a good knight, just because Valiant is cheating, doesn't mean Arthur will lose." Gaius stated.

"The chances aren't very high." Merlin replied.

"The odds are that Valiant and Arthur will fight in the last round- that's in two days. Owen will be healed by then and ready to talk." Gaius explained.

Merlin nodded softly. "Alright."

Gaius got up. "I need peace and quiet when I make the venom- you give me the opposite. Go. Leave. Do whatever you princes do." Gaius ordered.

Merlin smiled and got up. "Don't expect me gone for too long." And Merlin left through the door. Merlin walked to his room. He was so happy. All his life, he thought himself worthless- meaningless. But now he was saving lives. He was a prince! He thought of his old friend, Will. He would be shocked to hear he was a prince. And Roy, the town bully. Boy, he would be surprised. He was bullying a prince. Merlin chuckled. He should return to Ealdor someday, just to surprise everybody. Smiling to himself, Merlin barged into his room, and was quite startled to find somebody already in their. "William!" Merlin exclaimed.

William said, "I am here, sire."

Merlin groaned. "I'm sorry, I forgot you were here. I was caught up with something, it completely left my mind." Merlin apologized.

William said, "It is forgotten. The maid, Guinevere, came by earlier, saying the Lady Morgana summons you."

Merlin nodded. "Very well. Come with me." He ordered.

Merlin and William left together for Morgana's room. Merlin was wondering why Morgana would summon him. _Did I do something bad? Did I act improper? _Merlin shrugged it off. No use worrying about it. She probably wants to talk to him. Merlin walked faster, William also going faster to keep up. They reached Morgana's room and Merlin knocked.

"Come in." Morgana called. Merlin and William came in. "Ah Merlin!" She glanced over at William. "May we have a moment." William nodded and left, closing the door behind him.  
Merlin looked at Morgana. "So, why have you summoned me?" Merlin asked her.

Morgana said, "I just wanted to talk to you." She said while embracing him.

Merlin returned the hug. "Well, what did you want to talk about?" He asked.

Morgana sat on her bed, gesturing to the spot next to her for him to sit down. He sat down next to her, completely at ease. "The tournament." She explained.

"What about the tournament?" Merlin asked, a playful tone entering his voice.

"Well, I would like to know why you were glaring at Sir Valiant?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

_Oh. That. _"Um, he could pose a threat to Arthur, I want Arthur to win." Merlin said.

Morgana laughed. "No, I don't think that's the reason. You're jealous." She concluded.

Merlin spluttered, "N-no! Absolutely not! I am _not _jealous!"

Morgana chuckled. "It's okay, I understand." Merlin raised an eyebrow. "I mean, he's smart, handsome, and strong. I understand why you want him gone." She explained.

Merlin chocked. "W-what?!" He spluttered.

Morgana laughed again. "It's okay, Merlin."

Merlin was at a loss of words. He quickly thought of a retort suitable. "Ah, so... you have a crush on him!" He deduced.

Morgana looked scandalized. "W-what? No!" She tried defending herself.

Merlin thought of the perfect plan. "Ah, I must be going. I must inform the king he has found a suitable suitor for you." He got up and left her room.

He heard a bang from behind him. "Merlin! If you tell him, I'll-I'll-"

"You'll do what?" Merlin teasingly asked.

"I'll tell Uther you're in love with Gwen!" She threatened.

"You know, if you do, he'll probably just banish her." He countered, still running toward the throne room. He glanced back, Morgana was keeping up. _How is she so fast? _Merlin doubled his pace, before skidding to a stop. Morgana didn't see him and bumped into him, causing them to tumble into what made Merlin stop. The knight Valiant.

Valiant stood up and glared at Merlin before glancing at Morgana. His face was all charm. He reached down for her hand. "Milady." He greeted before kissing her hand.

Morgana stood up and slightly inclined her head. "Valiant. It is a surprise."

Merlin also got up. Valiant glanced his head in their direction. Merlin swore his eyes were full of hatred. _Did he know I got the snake head- that I know he is a cheater? _Valiant looked back at Morgana.

"Milady, allow me to escort you back to your chambers." He said smoothly.

Morgana smiled sweetly. "Of course." Valiant and Morgana intertwined arms and walked down the corridor together.

Merlin rolled his eyes. Valiant will soon be executed, no doubt about that. He went back to his chambers, ready for a good night sleep. But- of course- William was there. "Sire." He greeted.

"William! I am in no need of your services tonight. Leave me." Merlin said.

"Of course, sire." William said before leaving. Merlin sighed and plopped down onto his bed. Today has been a long day.

_**FINISH_**

**Alright, there it is, chapter 10. Next chapter I wrap up Valiant and get onto something else. Please ****review, it means a lot to me and encourages me to write faster. Did you like the Merlin teases Morgana scene? I liked it, it was the easiest for me to write. Is anyone else disappointed with last night's episode? *SPOILERS* I think Alator should have given in and told Morgana. They need to move on in the show! *END SPOILERS* Anyways, please review, tell me what you think!**


	11. Chapter 11

**SERIOSLYNICK here with chapter 11! WOO! Finally, it's here! The last one of 'Valiant.' I know it's one of the boring ones, but next chapter I'll make a story line entirely my own. I will try to include the Nimueh story arc, but make my own chapters with her. I'll try to make my own little 'episodes' and not steal from the show. Thank you guys who reviewed, you guys are awesome. Thanks for coming this far, please read this chapter, review please. It helps, trust me. **

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin**

**_**_START_

Merlin

Merlin sat down in his seat with a thump. Gaius had administered Owen the antidote for the snake venom. Soon, Owen would wake and they could accuse Valiant of conspiring with sorcerers. And Arthur would be saved.

Merlin looked down at the arena in anxiety. Valiant was still down there, fighting other knights, with a magical shield. More people could be hurt. That's why he has to bring Valiant's crimes to light. To protect people. That was his purpose in life, to protect people.

Merlin shook his head. Even if Valiant used his snakes to attack people, Gaius had the antidote. _I need to stop worrying. _Merlin looked over at Morgana. She had decided to sit next to him, on his right, away from Uther, despite Uther's protests. Merlin suspected they are having a fight. Morgana has been trying to avoid Uther recently, sometimes even refusing his summons. He doesn't mind having Morgana sit next to him, though, he rather enjoys it. It's better than sitting alone.

A collective gasp came from the audience. Merlin looked down and saw Valiant had struck another knight down. _Oh well, just another knight to give the antidote. _Valiant walked away with a satisfactory grin on his face, winking at Morgana when he came close to the stands.

Morgana gasped, then blushed the slightest bit. Gwen, who was standing behind her, started giggling and whispering in Morgana's ear.

Merlin rolled his eyes. _Girls. _Once he exposed Valiant, he will be executed.

Morgana slapped his arm lightly and leaned in to whisper, "Who do you think is going to win?"

Merlin looked at the remaining knights. "Arthur." He whispered.

Morgana shook her head. "No, I bet Valiant is going to win."

Merlin rolled her eyes. She really did have a crush on Valiant! "Not unless he cheats." Merlin pointed out.

Morgana gave him a look. "Are you saying he's a cheater?"

Merlin leaned in. "I got into his room yesterday- his shield, it has snakes coming out of it." Merlin accused.

Morgana chuckled softly. "You're delusional."

"And you're blind." Merlin retorted. "Look, just stay away from him, okay?" Merlin asked.

Morgana nodded slightly, a smile creeping on her face. "You _are _jealous!" She proclaimed.

Merlin lightly hit her arm. "No, just looking after you." He corrected.

"Thanks for the thought, but I can protect myself _just _fine." She said.

Merlin rolled his eyes, but wisely said nothing. He watched as Arthur fought a knight who had a huge sword, but was dreadfully slow. The knight, however, was able to keep Arthur away from him. Arthur twirled and their swords clashed in midair, the clang echoing throughout the arena. The bigger knight was strong though, so Arthur had to duck around him and managed to point the sword at the knight's back, right where his heart was. Arthur won that round.

When Arthur walked away, he looked tired. He had won three fights today, he probably was tired. Exhausted even.

Uther stood up and made some speech about bravery and strength, stuff about honor and nobility. Afterwards, everyone began leaving. Of course, as part of the royal family, he got to leave first. Merlin walked as fast as he could to Gaius' chambers, to see if Owen is awake. Merlin burst into the room. He saw Gaius, sitting by a table working on a potion of sorts, and he saw Owen, sleeping on the cot. "He's not awake yet?" Merlin asked.

Gaius didn't turn around. "No. He will wake soon, though."

Merlin nodded and sat down next to Gaius. He took a look at a book that was next to Gaius, a book on various potions. He assumed Gaius was trying to make a potion from the book. Merlin looked at it, and read that the potion would have to be a certain color when it is finished. He looked at the color. It was a dark pink. He glanced at the potion. Light pink. "It's not the right color." Merlin informed him.

Gaius nodded slightly. "So it would seem."

Merlin sat there, bored. He wanted to be their when Owen awoke, but this was so dreadfully boring. "I shall take my leave, now. Send for me when he wakes." Merlin said and left, not even waiting for a response. Merlin didn't even pay attention to where his feet were taking him. He stopped when he reached a door. Arthur's door.

He knocked. "Come in." A voice called. Merlin stepped in. "Ah, Merlin." Arthur greeted. Arthur's servant was taking off Arthur's armor. Cedric, Merlin remembered. "What are you doing here?"

Merlin looked uncomfortable. "I need to talk to you."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Okay..?"

"Alone." Merlin stressed.

Arthur sighed and gestured to his servant, who proceeded to leave the room. "What?" Arthur asked impatiently.

"Quit the tournament."

Arthur looked scandalized. "W-what!?" He sputtered.

Merlin tried to explain. "The knight, Valiant. He's using magic to cheat. He'll kill you tomorrow!"

Arthur looked indignant. "Oh, and what proof do you have?" He asked.

Merlin stood up straight and looked him in the eye. "Owen received a snake bite during the match with Valiant, it's poison has paralyzed him so he can't wake. I stole into Valiant's chambers and cut off a head of a snake that came from his shield! We made an antidote and Owen will wake up, he'll tell you what he saw!"

Arthur looked flabbergasted. "You swear you are telling the truth?" He asked.

Merlin nodded. "On my life."

Arthur closed his eyes. "Tell father I request an audience with him."

Merlin nodded and ran off to tell the king.

_BREAK_

"Father, I have reason to believe Valiant is using magic to cheat in the tournament." Arthur stated.

Uther sat on his throne, frowning. "What proof do you have?" He asked.

Arthur looked uncomfortable. "Sir Owen was bit by a snake _during _his match with Valiant. He was paralyzed by the poison, so Gaius was able to make an antidote for the poison and Owen will wake soon. To get this antidote, we needed the snake." He gestured toward Merlin, who brought the head of the snake. "Merlin here can act as a witness as he saw the snake. He's the one who cut off it's head." Merlin nodded. "When Owen wakes, you will have all the proof necessary." Arthur finished.

Uther nodded. "I would like to see Sir Owen and hear his voice." He said.

Arthur looked uncertain again. "He should be here." He glanced back at Gaius, who was discussing something fervently with Merlin, who had returned to Gaius. "I don't know why he isn't here."

Merlin looked at Arthur. "Sir Owen was killed. He regained consciousness and told Gaius that Valiant used snakes to sprout from his shield, but Gaius left to get water. When he returned, Owen was killed, strangled by a snake." Merlin explained.

Uther raised an eyebrow. "Arthur, are you sure you just don't want to compete against Valiant?" He asked.

Arthur looked hurt. "What? No! Valiant is cheating!" He accused.

Uther chuckled. "My boy, I understand you don't want to lose, but this is extreme- even for you!" Arthur looked offended and embarrassed. "You are dismissed." Uther finished.

_BREAK_

After that, Arthur refused to talk to Merlin. Arthur felt angry and embarrassed. His father thinks he is a coward all because Merlin couldn't back up his claim with evidence. And it tortured Merlin to know Arthur hates him.

Which is why he is currently walking down the cold steps to a secret dungeon to talk to one of the most wisest minds in the world.

The Great Dragon.

Merlin entered the huge cavern, expecting to see a huge dragon. He found no one. "You're wrong!" He shouted out. "I can't fulfill my 'destiny!' How can I, he hates me! You've got the wrong person!"

He waited a bit before the Great Dragon swooped down from the ceiling. He landed with a thump. The dragon looked at him with wise, old eyes and said, "You are wrong, young warlock. This is but another challenge you must face and overcome to complete your destiny."

Merlin asked, "But how can I work with him when he hates me?"

The dragon answered, "I'm sure, in time, he will come to trust you again." His ruffled his wings. "You _must _protect Arthur at all costs, for without him, the future of Albion will crumble." The dragon beat his wings and flew away, Merlin just stared up at him as he flew away, awe clearly written on his face at the dragon's majestic beauty.

_BREAK_

Merlin was slumped on the stone stairs leading up the citadel. He was greatly saddened. His brother hates him, and is going to be killed tomorrow, while all he could do is watch. _You can do more than that. _A voice in the back of his head said. _Like what? _He asked the voice. _Magic... _It whispered. Merlin contemplated the idea. He _could _use magic, he supposed. Maybe to trip Valiant up, allowing Arthur to kill him? Maybe-

Something across the courtyard caught his attention. It was a statue of a dog. Merlin stepped closer to it, examining it. An idea began forming in his mind. _That could work._

_BREAK_

In the end, he had to get Gwen's help and a wheel barrel to move the statue to his room. They had made quite a fuss. Gwen wanted to know why he wanted it, and he was forced to make some minor lie about 'my room needs decorating.' Gwen didn't look convinced.

But the real reason he wanted it was far more important. He was planning to practice an animation spell so he can force Valiant's snakes to come to life unexpectedly. Hopefully it would give Arthur the edge in the fight.

He got his spell book from his bed and flipped through the pages. He looked at the spell he reached about animating inanimate objects and memorized the incantation. He turned toward the statue and pulled on his magic. He felt his gut clench and he released his magic. "_Drey ov die fley, menie loo ecke!_" Nothing happened. "_Drey ov die fley, menie loo ecke!_" Nothing happened. Tonight was going to be a long night.

_BREAK_

"_Drey ov die fley, menie loo ecke! Drey ov die fley, menie loo ecke! Drey ov die fley, menie loo ecke!_" Merlin whispered, trying desperately to stay awake. "_Drey ov die fley, menie loo ecke!_" He tried again. Merlin groaned as nothing happened. He slowly closed his eyes. _No! I must save Arthur! _He couldn't open his eyes again, but he mustered the strength to say, "_Drey ov die fley, menie loo ecke!_" Merlin couldn't help it. His consciousness drifted off as he heard a bark. _A bark? _Somehow, he managed to open his eyes and saw a dog in front of him. That energized him. Merlin whooped and got up. _He did it! He's going to save Arthur! _The dog barked at him. Merlin narrowed his eyes at it. _What- _Merlin noticed the drool coming out of it's mouth. _Uh oh. _The dog barked and ran at him as Merlin ran out the room, locking the door behind him as he left.

Merlin smoothed his hair and noticed what time of day it was. It was the afternoon. _The tournament! _Merlin ran over to the stadium went down the bleachers. He spotted Uther and Morgana sitting up there, intently watching the fight in the arena: Valiant vs. Arthur. Merlin ran down at the bottom of the stands so he was ground level, and he began watching the battle intently. Slash, stab, dodge, stab, parry, the two expert knights fought for what seemed liked ages. Merlin saw Valiant was fighting dirty, though. He would step on Arthur's feet to trip him, for example. Merlin saw the perfect opportunity. Arthur and Valiant stepped away from each other to take a moment of rest. Merlin concentrated on his magic, felt the tug on his gut, and whispered, "_Drey ov die fley, menie loo ecke!_" He felt the power rush threw him, turning his eyes gold for a second. Suddenly, three snakes sprouted out of the shield and the audience gasped.

"He _is _using magic!" Uther whispered.

Arthur was too shocked that he didn't realize Valiant slashed, and, in an effort to protect himself, threw the blade at Valiant. It caused him to back up, but now Arthur was weaponless. Valiant leaned in to his snakes and whispered something. The snakes came out of the shield and slithered toward Arthur.

Morgana was the only one to shake out of their stupor. "Arthur, catch!" She called as she grabbed and threw a sword at him. Arthur turned, and, in a deft movement, slashed at the snakes, taking care of all of them at once.

Only Valiant remained as he and Arthur circled each other, waiting for an opportunity to strike. Valiant lunged and Arthur parried, disarming Valiant in the process. The crowd gasped as Arthur stabbed Valiant's heart.

Everyone was silent as Arthur walked away from Valiant's dead body, but eventually started clapping. Uther made another speech about bravery and honesty, wrapping it up by saying bad stuff about magic, but Merlin didn't care. He saved Arthur.

_BREAK_

"I think I owe you an apology, Merlin." Arthur stated as he walked into his brother's room.

Merlin looked up. "Oh, and why is that?"

Arthur looked uncomfortable. "B-because I ignored your warning and I ignored you. You were right all along, and I'm sorry." He finished.

Merlin contemplated keeping Arthur in his misery any longer. He decided not too. "I didn't have proof. I'm sorry you got embarrassed because I had no proof."

Arthur sat down and slapped his back. "How 'bout we go for a hunt, just the two of us? Some brother-to-brother bonding time." He suggested.

Merlin sighed. He hated hunts. What was the point of killing helpless animals for _fun_? "Sure, I'll go." Merlin said.

"Great," Arthur said, clapping his shoulder. "Meet me in the courtyard in ten minutes, I already got permission from father." He left, a spring in his step.

_He must really like it when I go hunting with him. _

_FINISH_

**There, guys! Chapter 11! A bit early, because I was sick today. Oh well. I slept in till noon then started writing non-stop. It was fun. Please review, and I'll try to get the next chapter out for you soon.**

**Which one would you rather have: awesome Merlin and Morgana scene (Not necessarily romance) or an awesome Uther and Merlin bonding scene? Let me know.**


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